Earthbound Spirit
by TheTragicHero
Summary: All it takes is one small act of kindness to change your life.
1. Chapter 1

I'm back, with a vengeance. Now prepare to have your minds blown.

* * *

"Fly away ghost boy, before I change my mind."

"Alright," Danny replied, backing away from the young ghost hunter slowly. "I'm going." He had barely turned around before he felt the sharp sting of an ecto-blaster hit his behind.

"Ow! What in…" he stuttered, his hands instinctively going to his sore keister as he spun back around. Red Huntress smirked as she hovered in the air, her smoking wrist blaster still aimed at the ghost boy.

"But don't think this is gonna last," she said as she lowered her arm and got into her best intimidating pose. "Tomorrow, it's game on!"

"And I'll be ready to play," the white haired teen retorted before taking off into the city as fast as he could. "_That was a nightmare,_" the teen thought as he raced towards his house. "_But Dani is safe, I'm free, and I'm almost finished that paper for Mr. Lancer._" A smile came to his face as he neared the giant metal observatory that marked his home. "_All and all, today was a good day._"

The instant he neared the house, the ghost boy became intangible and flew straight into his room. Danny came to a halt right next to his desk and let the white rings wash change him into his human form. The teen started up his computer and sat in his chair in a single swift motion that usually defied his clumsy nature. He quickly opened up the file that held his paper and got to work. He finished typing up two more sentences when there was a quiet knock on his door.

"Danny, sweetie, are you still up?"

"Yeah mom, just finishing up my paper for Lancer's class," Danny replied, spinning his chair around to face the opening door. His mother gave him one of her usual motherly smiles, though this one felt different than the others that had preceded it.

"I'm sorry for bothering while you're working on your schoolwork, but could you help your father and me in the lab?"

"Sure thing mom, just give me a sec to save my paper." It had become something of a habit he'd been forced to develop since his parent's experiments would sometimes knock out the power and erase anything he didn't save. The moment he did, he jumped up from his chair and hurried out the door past his mom.

"So, what do you need me to do?" he asked as he casually walked down the stairs.

He froze just as he reached the small turn at the bottom.

Standing in the living room were 14 armored GIW agents and his father, each one aiming their weapons directly at him.

"Wha?" he asked before feeling something poke his back, followed by the familiar whine of an ecto-weapon warming up.

"Danny Fenton, aka Danny Phantom, in accordance with the Federal Anti-Ecto Control Act, Article 1, Section 1, Sub-section A, you are under arrest." The young halfa stood frozen in place for a moment, his eyes darting around at all the weapons pointed towards him as he tried to come up with a plan to get out of this

"There's no use trying to hide it Danny," said a voice that Danny instantly recognized. He quickly whipped around to see his best friends walking out of the kitchen, both of them aiming ecto-guns of their own at him.

"We told them everything," continued Sam as she glared at the shocked halfa.

"Why?" he asked in a quiet whisper as he looked into the cold eyes of his friends.

"Because we know what you will become," replied Tucker, glaring at the teen hybrid as he spoke. "And the only way to make sure it never happens is to destroy you." Danny just stared in shock at what his friends had just said, his mind unable to comprehend why they would even do what they had done.

His mind was brought back as a green beam struck the wall behind him and his mother, the blast just barely missing his head.

"Jack!" he heard his mother scream behind him, but he was already bolting into the living room, the white rings appearing around his waist as he moved. The transformation was only half-way done when a shot from behind him struck the black latex on his back, propelling him forward and into the arms of two armored GIW agents.

"Good shot Maddie!" shouted Jack as Danny attempted to phase out of the agents' grip. When his limbs remained in their grip, Danny looked over at their hands while continuing to struggle. His eyes widened as he recognized the Ghost Gauntlets on their hands, but could only let out a painful scream in response as another blast from an ecto-gun struck his back. Fighting past the pain, the young halfa lifted the two agents off their feet and spun around, flinging them towards his mother before she could fire another shot at him.

He was just starting to fly up towards the ceiling when a small blue circuit board latched itself onto his chest. Danny let out another cry of pain as the little device shocked him, forcing him to the floor. Several more shots fired at him, each one knocking him into the path of the next until he was sent flying into the television. The disoriented ghost teen didn't even have a moment to sit up before seven agents leapt on top of him, each one wrapping their arms around some section of his body. Danny tried to force the agents off of his body, but the position of his body on what was the television and the Gauntlets the GIW were wearing prevented him from doing anything more than squirming around.

"Hold him still," said Jack as Danny continued to struggle against the numerous ghost hunters. "I'm going to tear this punk apart molecule by molecule."

"Dad, please. Don't do this," the halfa begged, watching as his father aim his gun straight at his head.

"Eat ectoplasm, freak," Jack growled in reply, the light from the barrel of his weapon growing brighter as he squeezed the trigger.

"NO!" All of the agents let out cries of surprise as a sudden burst of ectoplasm exploded out from the teen. The two agents holding his upper body were launched into the ceiling while everyone else in the room were knocked off their feet. Danny started panting from the sudden energy loss as he rushed to get back onto his feet.

"Danny!" The hybrid whipped his head around to see his sister standing halfway up the stairs, her hands over her mouth as tears began falling down her face. A glint of green light just further down the stairs caught his attention, prompting him to turn his head to face it. An instant later, his vision was swallowed by a bright flash of green, followed by an excruciating pain in his left eye.

* * *

Danny shot up into a sitting position in a panicked rush, his chest heaving as small droplets of sweat dripped down his body. His hand instantly went over his left eye, feeling the small scar that extended about a centimeter out from the top and bottom of the faded blue orb. As his breathing started to slow and the panic faded from his mind, the teen hybrid began to recognize his surroundings.

He was lying on a mattress that sat on a large wooden warehouse pallet, a blanket wrapped around his feet in a tangled mess. Though it was nearly pitch black, the little amount of light shining at the entrance several yards away illuminated enough for him to recognize the cave he'd spent the last two nights in. Danny let out a tired sigh as he untangled his feet from the blanket and began making his 'bed'.

It had been over a year since that night. Since then, he'd been on the run, traveling from city outskirt to city outskirt to avoid the Guys In White. His latest stop was a small cave in the forests just outside a place called Jump City. The halfa let out another sigh as he finished, moving to the large duffle bag that sat just next to the mattress. He started looking around inside it for a moment until he found one of the few shirts he had. Taking a quick sniff and realizing it was dirty, Danny continued digging into the bag until he found his last clean one.

"Looks like I'm going to have to do laundry tonight," he muttered to himself as he slipped the shirt on and proceeded further into the cave. He only went about a foot before stopping to look out towards the cave entrance for a moment. Seeing no shadow or trace of anyone standing out front, the teen lit up his hand with ecto-energy. In an instant, all of the darkness around him seemed to vanish, bathing everything around him in an eerie green light. Almost immediately, the teen moved over towards a chunk of ice nestled right up to the wall on his right.

The chunk of ice was the size of the of a miniature refrigerator, its smooth sides appearing to wriggle like snakes as Danny's glowing hand came closer. With his free hand, the ghost hybrid grabbed onto the handle sprouting out from the surface and gave it a light pull. The door opened to reveal two shelves, a single banana sitting on the bottom shelf.

"Figures," the halfa grunted as he grabbed the banana and shut the door. He began to slowly peel the fruit as he walked out towards the entrance of his cave, the glow from his hand dying away as he neared the opening. Once he reached the mouth of the cave, the teen stopped and propped himself on the closest wall, enjoying the sight of the glistening city that stretched out in front of him. With a sigh, the teen took a bite of the banana, the guilt of what he was going to have to do ruining the view and the taste of the fruit.

He ate in a silence, a contemplative look in his eyes that was accompanied by a disappointed scowl on his face. As soon as the banana was gone, he incinerated the peel with a quick flare of ecto-energy and wiped his hands. Danny gave the city one more glance before turning around and walking back into his cave to prepare for tonight.

* * *

The saga begins. Please review, but be nice about it.


	2. Chapter 2

The saga continues...

* * *

Danny landed on the ground as quietly as he could, his glowing green eyes scanning the area for anything or anyone that could be around before releasing his invisibility. A grunt escaped his lips as he adjusted the duffel bag strap on his shoulder, the plastic bags in each hand crinkling as their contents shifted. Once the duffel bag was in a more comfortable position, he started walking towards his cave.

As he walked, the guilt of what he had done began to grow from the depths of his mind. Even after being on the run for so long, he still felt awful for stealing. He hated it. He hated how the only way he could get any food or money to clean his clothes was by stealing. If he had wanted to use his powers like this, he would have accepted Vlad's…

The teen shook his head to clear it of those thoughts. The last thing he needed now was to let his mind become clouded with souring memories. Right now he had to get back to his cave without…

A sudden flash of light from above caught his attention. Acting on instinct, Danny dropped the plastic bags in his hands and slipped into a combat stance, his eyes locking onto the green comet streaking through the sky. He watched as it soared right over his head before plowing into the ground right where he landed only a few minutes ago. He ran two steps towards it before a thought froze him in right in his tracks.

That thing had soared right over the city, attracting the attention of all its citizens. It wouldn't be long until someone came to investigate what had just crashed, and he really didn't need to be discovered now. Besides, it wasn't his problem.

'_Maybe not. But it is my responsibility._'

The teen was snapped out of his internal debate by the sound of splintering wood and the groan of a falling tree. His eyes quickly locked onto the cause of the tree's destruction. Standing in front of him was a red-haired girl, around the same age as him, seething and glaring at him with glowing neon green eyes. She wore a black top and skirt over what looked something like metal bandages wound tightly around her body. Two metal plates sat just below her shoulders, along with a metal neck plate where a strange green gem was embedded. Besides her glowing eyes, orange skin, and red hair, the thing that stood out most was the large metal cuffs that took up almost her entire forearm.

Her eyes narrowed at him for a moment before barking something at him in a language that he didn't know, waving the large metal restraints towards him. He gave her a confused look, which only served to anger the strange girl even more. Letting loose a savage battle cry, the red-haired girl charged at him, swinging her arms down towards his head. Danny wasted no time sidestepping her to avoid the attack, watching as her cuffs buried themselves into the earth.

'_Obviously has super strength_," thought the ghost teen as he danced away from the girl, his eyes never leaving her as she pulled her cuffs free for another attack. Danny sidestepped each swing, noting how she would sometimes lift off the ground to move faster and hit him. He responded by hovering into the air as she did, catching the super-powered girl by surprise. She muttered something to her before growling and lifting a boulder up with one foot and tossed it lightly into the air. Danny's eyes widened in surprise as the mysterious red-head kicked the stone towards him. He barely managed to bend back far enough to avoid the stone projectile, and watching it tear a path through the trees.

The halfa only managed to straighten himself in time to see the girl swing her restraints at him, striking him in side with his blind eye. Pain flooded his senses as he heard the rib bones crack from the sheer force of the blow. The teen was sent flying several feet, his body breaking through two trees before rolling to a stop on the hard, unforgiving ground. A pained groan escaped his lips as he started to pick himself up, the duffel bag he'd forgotten sliding off his back and onto the ground with a thud. Danny ignored it as he got back onto his feet, his eyes looking down the path of destruction to see the girl walking towards him, an angry scowl on her face. She raised her arms to reveal the large metal covers over her hands was gone, and that they were now surrounded by a glow the exact color as her eyes.

Acting on instinct, Danny grabbed the duffel bag strap and threw it just as the girl fired a quick barrage of energy like a machine gun. The bag exploded in a burst of flame as the first of the blasts struck it, giving the teen enough cover to weave between the blasts and close in on the girl. Her eyes widened in surprise as the white haired teen appeared in front of her, but the look vanished as a gloved fist hit her stomach, sending her back down the path of destroyed trees. The red head hit the ground, rolling slightly until she was on her stomach.

She quickly staggered back onto her feet, her eyes locking onto the figure that was walking towards her. A shiver went up her spine at the unearthly glow that came from his cold, piercing eyes, but she refused to back down. She quickly aimed her arms at the figure and charged a blast until it was the size of a basketball before firing it. The halfa didn't move to dodge as he kept approaching her, his chest suddenly expanding to accommodate the hole that had just grown from it. A frightened gasp escaped her as she watched her attack pass harmlessly through the hole before it and his chest shrank back to normal.

'_I'm running out of time_," Danny thought as he continued to walk towards the girl. '_I have to end this now or I'm going to be discovered._'

The red-haired girl took a step back from approaching teen, before growling something in her strange language and lunging forward, swinging her arms down onto the teen. The halfa merely went intangible and allowed the attack to pass harmlessly through him, catching the girl completely off guard and causing her hands to be embedded into the earth again. Before she could pull her arms out of the ground, Danny brought his foot down on the metal rod connecting the two arms together, pinning her in place. The girl struggled to pull her arms free, barking something until she looked up at the teen's face.

Glowing green eyes met green eyes, a sense of fear growing in the girl the longer she stared into his. Danny's eyes remained cold as steel as he raised a glowing green hand up towards his face in a striking position. The atmosphere became heavy with a sense of finality as the ghost boy steeled himself for the final blow.

That resolve dissolved the instant he took in her face.

The green glow of her eyes had faded away, revealing two frightened forest green eyes surrounded by a lighter shade of green. The edges of her eyes began to glisten from the tears threatening to pour out. In that moment, he stopped seeing the red haired girl who'd tried to kill him.

Now he saw himself, staring up at himself with that same look in his eyes. The look of innocent person afraid of their captor.

The hard look in Danny's eyes turned soft as he lowered his hand, the ecto-energy dissipating as it fell back to his side. The teen gently removed his foot from the cuffs and kneeled down in front of her, earning a confused look from the still frightened girl. The hybrid didn't bother to look into her face as brought his hand onto the connector rod, his fingers barely touching the cool metal. She eyes widened for the umpteenth time as she watched her restraints pass through her arms and fall to the ground with a thump.

Danny got back onto his feet as the girl looked at her arms, a mix of marvel, disbelief, and happiness clearly growing on her face. Danny just ignored her as he walked right past her and towards the two plastic bags he'd left on the ground. The girl turned to look towards the white haired boy's retreating figure, watching as he knelt onto the ground and started picking up some of the contents that had spilled out. Once he'd finished, Danny grabbed onto the bags and got back onto his feet, letting out a slight hiss in pain as the sudden increase in weight and lack of adrenaline irritated his new wound.

The teen took about two steps before he heard a slight growl from behind him. Danny turned his head to see the girl back on her feet, one hand on her stomach. The two locked eyes for moment before the teen let out a sigh and shifting the bag in his left hand to his right. The halfa rummaged through one of the bags for a moment before pulling out a shiny red apple. He held it up for her to see what it was before tossing it to her. The girl caught the fruit with both hands and looked at it curiously before looking back at the boy walking away from her. She started to utter something, but stopped as Danny turned around to face her, his eyes cold and hard again.

"Leave…and never come back."

The girl let out a gasp as the boy vanished from sight taking a step towards where he had stood with an arm reaching for him. She stared at the spot for a moment before looking down at the apple in her hand. The red-head took a tentative sniff of the small fruit before scarfing the entire thing down. Once it was gone, the girl looked back at where the strange boy had stood, noticing the numerous lights of the city through the tree line. Hearing her stomach rumbling again, the girl took off into the air and began flying towards the city.

* * *

Danny dropped onto his mattress with a tired sigh as soon as the last of the food was put into his makeshift fridge. Today had been a practical disaster, with the only good things to come out of it being his restocked food supply and that he wasn't discovered yet. With another sigh, the teen started to feel along his left side with his right hand, feeling along his ribs for the break. When he felt the area where the pain was the most intense, the hybrid focused his ice powers into a makeshift ice cast before finally letting sleep overcome him.

* * *

Not the best first impression, but it's better than a bunch of screaming people.

Next chapter should be up alot sooner than usual since I just started SPRING BREAK! Expect it soon.


	3. Chapter 3

Sweat began to pour from the teen's brow as he pushed himself up with his left arm, completing his fourth set of push-ups for the day. It had become a daily routine for that halfa during all those months of running from the Guys In White. It was one of the few things he could do to pass the time without stealing or having to worry about being spotted. Plus working out in his human form had the fortunate side effect to increasing the strength of his ghost half proportionately. And if he was going to continue surviving, he needed to get stronger.

He was no longer as scrawny as he used to be back in Amity Park. His routine and fights with the GIW had added some muscle to his physique. He wasn't as barrel chested as Superman and Dash were, but at the rate he was working out, it wouldn't be long till he was.

With a grunt, the teen flipped himself back onto his feet before wiping himself off with a towel. '_It feels good to finally work out again after that fight I had with that red-head,_" Danny thought as he finished wiping himself off and started to walk out of the cave. It had been a very long week that had pushed on the very edges of his sanity. The broken ribs he'd sustained from the girl had taken their time to heal, and had stopped he'd been forced to call of his training until they'd healed.

"_The weather is so nice out today, I should go out for a fly,_" thought the teen as he shifted into his ghost form and began to float off the ground.

"Hello new friend! I am so glad to found you!"

Danny froze for the tiniest of moment before seeing someone charge right at him. Seeing no time to dodge, the hybrid became intangible to avoid capture. As the figure passed through him and went into his home, Danny spun around and backed away from the cave entrance, his hands becoming enshrouded in ecto-energy. He watched as the person came to stop mid-air before turning around to face him, allowing the hybrid to recognize her instantly as the red-head he'd fought.

She looked completely different from the person who tried to kill him over a week ago. She wasn't wearing the same metal, bandage-like material under her clothes like she had before, revealing her orange midriff and her arms. She had also changed the color of the clothes she was wearing from black to purple, giving her a more cheery aura. The metal crown that had adorned her head and the metal shoulder plates were also missing. But the biggest change was the look on her face. The smile alone practically screamed happiness and cheerfulness.

"What are you doing here?" growled the teen, his eyes narrowing on the red head. The girl didn't seem to notice the anger in his tone, or seem to care as she floated over to him, the smile never leaving her face.

"Forgive me friend, I have not the introducing. I am Starfire from the planet Tamaran."

"What are you doing here?" repeated the halfa, his tone unchanging as he backed away from the alien and placed his feet back on the ground. The Tamaranean finally seemed to notice the attitude and frowned at him, her demeanor changing into a more solemn one.

"I… I came to thank you for helping me when we met and to also bring you an apology for attacking you," replied the girl as she too landed on the ground, one hand grabbing onto the wrist of the other as she tilted her head down slightly.

"Great," the teen replied as he released the energy pooled in his hands and walked past her back to his cave. "Now go away." Starfire turned to look at the retreating white-haired boy with a confused look on her face.

"You do not accept my apology?" she asked, her voice becoming quieter than it had been. He was tempted to just stay quiet and keep walking, ignoring her so that she would go away. But the child-like innocence she seemed to project ate away at his conscience.

"I do…"

"Then I have done something to upset you?" asked the Tamaranean.

"No," replied the teen, becoming more annoyed by her questions.

"Then why do you want me to leave?"

"Because…" growled the teen, his anger peaking for a moment before slumping in defeat with a sigh, releasing his balled up hands. "Because I just want to go back to being forgotten."

"Why would…" Starfire began before a musical ringtone cut her off. Reaching behind her, the red-headed alien pulled out a small yellow device and flipped it open.

"Starfire," said a male voice, clearly concerned. "Where are you?"

"I was…" she began, watching as the half ghost walked into the cave, his figure disappearing into the darkness. "…exploring."

"Well you're gonna have to explore later. There's a robbery downtown." The alien girl nodded before closing the communicator and putting it away. She gave the city a quick glance before flying over to the cave entrance.

"I have to go, but I will be back soon friend." With that, the Tamaranean flew off as fast as she could.

Danny sat down on his mattress with a thump, feeling his anger grow as his fingers ran through his hair. Without warning, the teen fired a massive ecto blast into the depths of the caves with a roar of rage. The blast traveled a fair distance before colliding with a stalactite and exploding with a burst of green light. With a frustrated growl, Danny laid down on his mattress and tried to recollected his emotions.

After a few seconds, the halfa got back onto his feet and walked out of the cave. He'd have to find somewhere new to hide now. That girl…Starfire had found him and said she was going to return, and the last thing he needed right now was for someone as powerful as her to deal with. Taking to the air, Danny took off towards the nearby desert, staying invisible to avoid being seen. He'd scouted the area when he first arrived at Jump City and found a few suitable caves, but had decided against them since finding water would be difficult. One of them would do until he found a better place in another city, but he'd have to hurry. He knew a robbery wouldn't take someone like her long, especially if that male he'd heard her speaking to was going to help.


	4. Chapter 4

His good eye scanned the cave with the utmost precision, searching for anything he might have forgotten. When he was sufficiently satisfied with his results, the half ghost walked out into fading light of the evening towards the large wooden pallet that once resided inside the hollow. On it sat his mattress and clothes, along with the massive chunk of ice he was using as a makeshift fridge. Aiming a glowing blue hand at it, the teen fired two quick burst, creating two clamps of ice that bound everything to the pallet. He gave the restraints a quick check before grabbing onto one of the edges.

'_I need to move now! I spent too long trying to find the right cave, and she could come at any…_'

"Hello friend!"

"Of course," groaned the white-haired teen as he released the wooden frame and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I am sorry for being the late, there… Are you going somewhere?" the Tamaranean asked. Thousands of curses ran through his mind at his horrible luck and her timing as he looked over his shoulder at her.

"Yes," he stated coldly before turning back towards the crate and noticing his pillow had fallen off. With a groan, the teen moved over to put it back onto the pallet, not noticing the alien girl moving closer.

"Do you require assistance?" she asked, watching as he shoved the pillow between the mattress and the block of ice in a secure fashion.

"No," growled the teen as he moved off the pallet and started to reach under it again.

"Is your home damaged? Is that why you are leaving?"

"I'm leaving because you won't leave me alone!" said Danny in the coldest voice he could muster.

"I do not understand!" cried Starfire, her upset tone making the teen feel guilty again. "You say that you accept my apology and that I have not upset you, yet you act as though I have. Why do you wish to leave if I have done nothing to upset you?"

"Because I need to disappear and be forgotten!" shouted the hybrid, turning to face the red-headed alien with a hardened glare. "If I don't, then people are going to end up getting hurt and it will be my fault!"

A moment of silence passed between the two teenagers, the only sounds heard were the whispers of the forests and the ghost boy's haggard breathing. The hurt look on Starfire's face soon became one of sympathy, though confusion was still evident in her eyes. A fresh wave of emotional pain washed through Danny's mind at her expression, forcing him to turn away from her in an attempt to push it away.

"Why?" began the Tamaranean, watching as the boy in front of her tried to further close himself off from her. "Why would people get hurt because of you?" Danny remained quiet for a moment, attempting to steel himself for the pain he knew he was about to unleash on himself when he answered. His hands balled up into fists as he struggled against the hurt bubbling inside him. Danny released the breath he'd unknowingly been holding before answering.

"Because I am a monster, an abomination of nature that shouldn't exist."

It was something he'd realized during the first month of being on the run. It was the only reason he could think of as to why his friends had betrayed him, why his parents couldn't find it in their hearts to accept him like they had before. After all, he had already seen himself become one in the future, who's to say he didn't become one without realizing it.

"You are not a monster." Danny's eyes shot open in surprise at her gentle response, the sheer confidence in her tone said she believed what she said with all her being. For the briefest of moments, hope filled him, tempting him to believe her words. But that hope died as he remembered the look the alien had given him when he had her at his mercy, rage taking its place.

"You don't know anything about me!" screamed the halfa as he rounded on her, watching as she flinched in under the piercing gaze of his glowing green eyes. "You don't know what I am or what I can do. All you know about me is what you saw when we fought, and that was just a sliver of what I can do." He stood right in front of her, his cold eyes searching her emotional green ones for deceit as he tried to hide the fresh waves of hurt crashing over him.

"Even now I can see the fear in your eyes, the sheer terror they held when I had you pinned to the ground. Only a monster can cause such fear." He watched as the flicker of fear in her eyes vanished again, leaving only gentleness and resolution.

"You are not a monster," she repeated, the conviction in her voice even greater than before. "A monster would not have shown me as much kindness as you have." Danny's eyes widened in surprise at her response and the gentle smile she gave him. Starfire's eyes told him that what she said was true, but he couldn't believe them.

The hope they projected would hurt too much if they were lying.

"I'm not kind," he replied, turning his back to her and looking at his distorted reflection in his makeshift fridge. "I attacked you and tried to kill you."

"I attacked you," reminded the Tamaranean, the tenderness in her voice soothing the hurt and doubts swimming inside his head. "And though you could have caused me much harm, you instead chose to free me and give me one of your little red fruits." He watched as she walked up closer so that he could see her face over the shoulder of his reflection.

"It is thanks to your kindness that I met my friends and found a home here on Earth. Though you may not see it, you have done much good for everyone. Now I must ask the favor of you and ask that you stay." Danny just stared at his own reflection, his eyes falling on the emblem that sat on his chest.

For the first time in almost a year, it made him feel like the hero he used to be.

"If you knew what I really am, I doubt you'd see me as kindly. A lot of people despise me because of it."

"Then they do not see you for what you truly are," replied Starfire. "To me, it does not matter what you are. You are my friend and I do not want you to disappear."

It took a lot of his willpower to repress the tears that were threating to pour out from his eyes. He watched as the Tamaranean came closer to him, attempting to put a hand on his shoulder.

"You'll keep coming back, won't you?" At this, her smile fell and she retracted her hand.

"I will not come back if you do not want me to." A sigh escaped Danny's lips as he looked down at his feet. Starfire seemed to take this as a sign and turned away, taking to the air as she started to head for home.

"No one can know about me," said the teen, causing the alien girl to freeze in place. "You can't tell your friends, your family, or anyone else where I am or that I even exist. If you can promise that… then I'll stay." The next thing he knew, Danny was being crushed to death by the Tamaranean girl's massive hug.

"This is most joyous news. I will happily keep your existence a secret, friend."

"Danny," grunted the ghost teen as he tried to figure out why he seemed to attract people who could hug him to death. "Call me Danny." The alien girl then released him, allowing him to turn around enough to see her flying higher into the air with the biggest smile on her face.

"I will see you soon, friend Danny," she announced before turning away from him and flying off towards the city. With a sigh, Danny walked over to the wooden pallet holding his things and lifted it into the air. As he walked back towards his cave, not noticing the small smile that had appeared on his face, one thought repeated itself over and over in his head.

'_What the heck just happened?!_'


	5. Chapter 5

The saga continues

* * *

Danny just sat on his mattress, staring off into the darkness. Doubts swam through his head as the information he'd learned the night before bubbled back to the surface.

* * *

_He was just about to leave so he could steal some more food when a familiar voice cried out from far away._

'_**Starfire!**__' thought the hybrid, as he whipped his head in the direction of the scream. Off in the distance, where a carnival was being held, he saw a blue streak racing across the sky, followed by a sudden flash of light that stopped it. Without thinking, he took off as fast as he could in that direction, turning invisible while his eyes locked onto the light display flashing before him._

_He was just starting to fly over the carnival when he heard another voice cry out behind him._

"_Titans, trouble!" The hybrid came to a screeching halt. He'd heard that voice before, and he was really hoping he'd heard wrong. As he turned around and saw the four strange teens, it took so much willpower not to groan._

"_Where's Starfire?"asked Cyborg, surprising Danny that they knew the alien girl._

"_That's the trouble," replied Robin, as he ran towards the pier. Danny flew up into the air as the other Titans followed their leader, just barely avoiding contact with the tallest teen. Thousands of thoughts raced through his head as the four teens started fighting what appeared to be a pink and black flying robot squid. He gave the teens a final glance as Robin swatted the creature into the water before turning around and flying back to his cave._

_As soon as he got back, the hybrid walked over to his mattress and sat down, not even noticing as the white rings appeared around his waist and transformed him back to his human form._

* * *

He hadn't moved from that spot since. He'd spent all night taking what he'd learned and making several revelations. The first was that Starfire was a member of the Teen Titans. Now that he thought about it, it seemed completely obvious. He'd even heard her receive a call about a robbery for crying out loud.

The second was that any form of friendship she might want to have with him was doomed from the start. It wouldn't take her long to find out the truth about him. After all, one of her friends was the sidekick to one of the greatest detectives the world has ever known. All it would take was a slight slip up and he'd have five teenage superheroes and the Guys in White right outside his cave.

'_To me, it does not matter what you are. You are my friend and I do not want you to disappear._' The Tamaranean's words rang out through his head, but he couldn't find the solace they held when she'd first said them.

'_It's only because she doesn't know the truth,_' repeated the doubt in his mind. '_As soon as she finds out that you're technically a criminal, she'll hate you just like everyone else_.'

"We really should not be here." Danny's head instantly perked up at the sound of Starfire's voice, his senses on edge by what she had just said. Jumping to his feet, the teen quietly walked closer to the entrance, making sure to stay out of the light that filtered into it.

"Then why were you heading over here then?" asked another, her voice feminine and sultry. The sharp sting of betrayal ripped through the halfa, his powers flaring up inside him in response to the pain and rage he felt. His fists at his sides shook as his eyes burned an unearthly green.

'_Why did I think she was going to be different?!_' he mentally scolded himself. '_I knew Sam and Tucker for years before they betrayed me, what made me think an alien girl I don't even know would be any different?!_'

"I was… just going to expl…" began the Tamaranean girl before a sharp gasp escaped her mouth. A whirring sound suddenly began to echo from the entrance, snapping the hybrid out of his rage-induced trance to see one of the purple squid robots that had attacked Starfire the night before. The white rings erupted out from his waist, the bright light filling the cave as he rushed towards the entrance. With a ferocious roar, Danny lunged his now white-gloved hands at the creature, the alien metal crumpling under the force of his blow. Sparks began to pour out from the hole as the teen shifted his hands before ripping the robot in half.

With the squid out of his way, Danny got a good view of the scene before him. There were three more of those robots, each one circling the two girls standing in front of him, their tentacles twitching with what could have been seen as anticipation. Starfire's body was in a combat stance, her glowing hands aimed at one of the creatures while her eyes locked onto him. Standing back to back to her was a black-haired girl who looked eerily similar to the red-head, but also drastically different.

Just by looking at her, Danny could tell that she was from Tamaran. She wore an outfit similar to the one the red-head had worn when he'd fought her, without the manacles and armor plates. Her hands glowed with a purple energy similar to the Tamaranean. Her purple eyes were wide with surprise, her mouth hanging open slightly at the display.

His sudden appearance seemed to be just the distraction the squids needed. With lightning quick movements, two of the robots lunged at the girls with their tentacles. Danny's hands erupted with a blue light as he aimed them at the encroaching appendages. Sharp icicles seemed to appear in mid-air as they shot out of his hand, several of them cutting into the pink tentacles and forcing them away from the girls.

"Get down!" he shouted as raced towards them, the glow around his hands never fading. The two alien girls backed away immediately, just barely avoiding the appendages of the third squid. The tentacles latched themselves onto the ghost boy, one around each wrist while the remaining two wrapped themselves around his waist. The teen smirked as his eyes began to shine an icy blue, the aura around his hands extending to the rest of his body. The creature didn't even have time to release him before the areas in direct contact with the ghost's body were coated in a thick layer of frost. The blue energy quickly traveled up the limbs until the entire robot was completely encased in ice, the glow around the teen's body fading away an instant later. The brittle limbs shattered with a crack as the halfa flexed, freeing his hands. He wasted no time grabbing onto the two frozen tentacles still wrapped around his hips and breaking them off.

"Starfire, duck!" The red-head didn't need to be told twice as she blasted back an appendage, ducking just in time as he swung the frozen squid. The sounds of crumpling metal and cracking ice filled the air as Danny's makeshift ice club struck home, destroying the bodies of both squids. The teen didn't stop as he continued to spin before he was staring right at the black-haired girl's back.

The ghost boy unleashed another savage roar as he leapt into the air, soaring over the girl before tackling the remaining creature to the ground. The two beings skidded a few inches along the ground before the ghost straddled it began pounding the creature. The robot withstood two punches before it stopped moving, but the teen didn't stop his assault. All he saw was red as blow after blow rained down on the metal remains, unaware that the two alien girls were warily approaching him.

It was only when his fist went straight through the impacted metal and into the earth that he finally stopped attacking it. As he slowly got back onto his feet, the only sound that could be heard was his own haggard breathing. This lasted for only a moment before Danny turned and glared at the red-haired Tamaranean, his glowing green eyes as cold and hard as steel.

"I told you to never tell anyone I was here," he said in the coldest, hardest voice he could muster as he stomped over to her, the atmosphere becoming oppressive as he locked eyes with her. "You promised me you'd keep my existence a secret."

"I did not mean…" began the Tamaranean, but the words died away at the dangerous spark in his eyes.

"Leave…both of you," he growled, his voice becoming quiet to leave no room for argument. "And don't ever let me catch you coming to visiting me again, because you won't even live long enough to regret it."

"Please friend…" began the alien girl as she reached out to the boy, tears forming in her eyes as he turned away from her and back towards the nearest squid's remains.

"I am not your friend!" he barked, the anger in his words causing her to retract her hand. The tears were pouring freely from her eyes now, though she refused to make a sound.

"Cool your jets there tough guy," said the other Tamaranean as she sauntered over to him, attempting to assert her presence. "No need for you to get so fired up because of me. I only wanted to see why my little sister seemed in such a hurry to get here." Danny turned around and glared at the black-haired girl, causing her to flinch for a moment before she regained her composure. He could practically feel her eyes traveling over his body, mentally stripping him of his black and white hazmat suit and drinking in his well-toned muscles.

"The name's Blackfire," she continued, practically throwing herself at him. He looked at her and recognized the bitterness and anger hidden behind the flirtatious look in her eyes. He didn't know why they were there, but it only served to disgust him even more than he already was with her.

"Don't care, now get lost" he replied, pushing her off of him and continuing towards the wreckage. The black clothed alien pouted at him for a moment while he started to lift the remains over his head. Her flirtatious smile returned a second later and she walked right back over towards him.

"You're a really good fighter, so raw and primal. If you want, I can be your sparring partner and show you a few moves I learned from a Ven-Zo master on Tyrus III." Danny dropped the destroyed squid and walked over to Blackfire, the air around them becoming noticeably colder as he stood before her.

"Obviously I haven't made myself clear," he growled, taking the same tone he used on Starfire on her. "I want you and your sister to leave. If you don't, these hunks of scrap metal won't be the only bodies I'll have to dispose of." A cold shiver ran up both girls' spines as he turned back to disposing of the remains.

"We should go now sister," replied the red-headed Tamaranean in a depressed and frightened tone as she flew over to her sister, grabbing onto her arm and attempting to pull her up. Blackfire pulled free from her sister's grip and took a few steps closer to the white-haired teen.

"What's the matter big boy? Afraid I'm going to beat you?"

Before either girl realized it, Blackfire was sent flying through the air until she collided with a tree. The girl struggled to pull away from it, but found that the thin green glow around her body prevented her from moving. Starfire gasped as she watched her sister struggle before turning to look at the halfa approaching the trapped Tamaranean. His eyes were practically burning with ecto-energy, a single glowing hand extended towards the black-haired girl.

"You have no idea the hornet's nest you're stirring up," he growled, watching as those purple eyes stared back at him with the utmost horror.

"All I need to do is think it and I could break your neck before you could even let out a scream." As if to prove his point, the glow around his hand flared even brighter, the pressure around her neck tightening. Starfire's eyes widened in horror as she watched her sister gasp for air, the ghost boy showing no sign of relenting.

"Danny, please stop!" she screamed, running over to him and grabbing onto the extended arm. Danny looked down at the girl attempting to pull his arm away from the gasping Tamaranean. Her eyes were filled with fear, silently begging him to stop what he was doing. His glare remained for only a moment before softening, guilt growing in his mind as he continued to stare at the red-head.

Blackfire landed on the ground with a thump as the energy around his hand and her body vanished. Almost immediately, her hands came to her throat as she gasped for air, her eyes closed a pained cough escaped her lips. Starfire wasted no time releasing the halfa and running over to her sister, trying to help the girl back to her feet. Danny looked down on the two girls, his doubts and fears hidden behind the mask of his face. He waited until both girls were back on their feet before he spoke to them again.

"Consider yourself lucky to have such a kind sister, because she is the only reason you're still breathing. Now I want both of you to leave or you'll get to see just how powerful I really am." Blackfire didn't need any further encouragement as she took off into the air, flying as fast as she could to Titans Tower. Starfire remained for a moment watching as the white-haired boy picked up the nearest squid and started walking off into the forest. Without saying a word, the alien girl took off into the air, sparing the teen one last glance before flying back to her home.

* * *

That was probably the shortest friendship in the history of friendships. Stay tuned to see what happens to our favorite halfa next chapter.

Just a warning, this is probably going to be the last time I update quickly for a while. My classes start back up on Monday and I don't know I'll be able to write up another chapter by then. So please keep up the review until next time.


	6. Chapter 6

The saga continues

* * *

_The sound of the locks on the door echoed throughout the tiny metal room, breaking the teen out of his silent moping. He looked up in time to see Agents O and K, Sam, and Tucker walk into the room, wheeling in a stainless steel table covered with a white sheet. His eyes widened in surprise and shock as he looked at what his friends were wearing._

_Tucker was in what was supposed to be a skin-tight white jumpsuit, but was obviously meant for the build of someone like Dash or the agents next to him. A black shoulder holster was wrapped around chest, an ecto-gun in each side-holster. On the black belt around his waist was his PDA, his fingers twitching to hold it again. His glasses had been replaced by a pair of sunglasses, but his red beret remained._

_Sam was in a similar jumpsuit, but it was black in color and it actually fit her. She also wore a shoulder holster, white in color, loaded with ecto-guns. She still wore her black combat boots, and her hair remained in its usual pony tail. Since she was the only member of the group not wearing sun glasses, Danny could see the cold look in her eyes as they approached. The hybrid could only stare at his friends while the other two agents began to check his restraints._

"_Why are you guys doing this?" he asked, not even bothering to struggle in an attempt to escape. He'd tried when he'd woken up, but neither form could escape the high-tech shackles._

"_Because we saw what you were becoming," replied the techno-geek, not even looking up at him as he checked something out on his PDA._

"_What, a hero?" mocked the teen._

"_A monster," said Sam as she moved to stand right in front of him. "One that will have an unlimited amount of power unless we stop you now."_

"_I told you guys I wouldn't turn into that!" he shouted, startling the two agents examining the restraint at his feet as he jerked forward._

"_But you are!" Sam barked back, her eyes finally showing some emotion again. "You're becoming more violent with every fight, more willing to destroy the ghost instead of sending them back to the Ghost Zone. You're ghost side is becoming so powerful that not even your future self can beat you. What do you think will happen when you finally lose your humanity? What if we have to deal with an even worse Phantom than the one you fought to change?"_

"_I…" stuttered the hybrid, shocked at what his friend had said. Of all the ghosts they'd ever faced, he'd thought he'd be the last ghost they'd ever fear. "I won't become that."_

"_No you won't," the goth girl replied, her eyes becoming cold and emotionless again. "We'll make sure of that."_

"_The restraints are secure," announced Agent O, stepping back from the ghost boy and proceeding to the table with the other three._

"_Energy to the cuffs remains normal and his powers are still neutralized," added Tucker as he put his PDA back onto his belt and removed the sheet. Danny's eyes widened as he saw all the numerous ghost hunting tools, each one glistening in their promises of pain._

"_Come on guys," he begged as he watched the four pick one weapon each from the table and examine them. "You know me. You know I won't become him."_

"_That's why you're here Danny," Sam replied as she uncoiled a long metal cable with sharp flick of her wrist. The others just barely managed to back away as the cable unfurled itself, green energy cracking along its length. Danny could only stare in horror as the goth drew her arm back in preparation to strike._

"_To make sure you don't"_

_The last thing he remembered was a sharp pain that ran across his chest, followed by a sudden flash of green._

* * *

Danny bolted upright with a panic, his hands subconsciously rubbing the scar while the phantom pains died down.

"Thank goodness you have finally awakened," said a voice on his right. The teen froze in place, his mind went in frenzy of panicked thoughts as his head slowly turned to the source. It took him a moment of forcefully calming himself down before he recognized the girl kneeling next to his bed, and soon he was flaring with anger again.

Starfire gave him a worried look as she raised her glowing hand up higher, looking around the cave for something before looking back at him.

"I am sorry for disturbing your sleep, but you should leave now please," she said as she got back onto her feet, looking around her one more time. "Danny does not like it when people come to his home." The halfa didn't even register what she said as he got off his mattress, his anger rising in sync with his body.

"What are you doing here?" he growled as he glared at her with his glowing green eyes. Starfire let out a gasp at the sight, her eyes getting even wider as a white energy ring appeared around his waist. She watched in fascination and surprise as the ring split in two and traveled along his body, transforming him into the white-haired boy she knew. She remained silent for a moment before her eyes lit up with child-like wonder.

"That was truly amazing!" she squealed, moving closer and examining every inch of him. "How did you accomplish such a thing?"

"That's not the…"

"Is the shape-shifting one of your powers?"

"Starfire," he growled, the little patience he had left being stretched to the breaking point.

"Are you a magician like Raven?"

"I'M HALF-GHOST ALRIGHT!" Danny screamed, the startled Tamaranean finally hearing him over her buzzing thoughts. "I'm a hybrid of two creatures that should not be capable of mixing together, an abomination to nature." Silence passed between the two of them for a brief moment before the halfa let out a frustrated cry and stormed out of the cave. He continued walking until he reached the small ledge just a little ways from his cave.

He'd discovered this spot around a week ago and visiting the spot had fallen into his routine. It overlooked a small home where a family of four lived, consisting of a mother, father, a preteen girl, and a young boy around five. Whenever he was in a funk and just couldn't get into his workouts or when memories of his betrayal started to bother him, he'd sit down on the ledge and watch them. Looking down at them living their everyday lives just seemed to alleviate his grief. It was too late in the night for any of them to be awake, but it didn't matter. Just knowing that the home held a loving family managed to quell the rage he felt, leaving only an empty sadness.

"I am sorry. I did not mean to upset you." Danny didn't even acknowledge her as Starfire joined him on the ledge, merely bringing his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them before resting his chin in the crook between his legs. The atmosphere remained quiet as they looked down at the dark home, Starfire occasionally glancing over at the saddened halfa.

"Why are you here?" he asked, not even looking at her. The alien girl gave him a small frown as she mimicked his position.

"I wished to apologize for what had happened today. I did not know my sister had followed me until it was too late."

"No, I mean why did you come back? I thought the last thing you'd want to see was me, especially after seeing what a monster I am," he said sinking further into himself.

"But you had every right to be upset," muttered Starfire, earning a surprised look from the teen. "I broke my promise and betrayed your trust. A real friend would not have done that."

"Don't ever think you aren't a real friend," he said, causing the red-head to stare at him. "All you've done since we met was shown me kindness, something a real friend would do." With a sigh, Danny returned to his former position, his eyes falling back to the sleeping house. "I've just become too bitter a person to trust anyone's kindness."

"Why?"

The halfa looked into the Tamaranean's eyes, marveling at the depths of innocence and care they held. Even though his doubts told him not to, he felt compelled to tell her the truth. Somehow, he knew she would understand. He just knew.

"Because I was betrayed by the people I cared about most." He could feel her eyes on him, but he didn't dare look. All he could do was hug his legs tighter and bury his face further into them.

"I know what that is like," Starfire replied, surprising the ghost boy yet again. "My sister tried to have me take her place in prison by taking my place." The tears that were beginning to prickle her eyes vanished as his hand rested gently on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," he said, his eyes soft with understanding and sympathy. A slight blush appeared on the alien girl's face at the contact, but it vanished as she wiped the water from her eyes and gave him a small, grateful smile. He returned the smile for a moment before unfurling himself and looking up at the night sky.

"Guess this means your friends know about me now, huh?" Starfire shook her head as she released her legs, letting them dangle over the ledge.

"No, they do not. My sister was afraid you would come after us if we told, so we agreed not to tell." An amused smile came to his face, his mind repressing the laughter that wanted to come out at the comment.

"You'd better go home now, your friends will start to worry soon," he said as he got back to his feet. Starfire looked at him with a sad expression as he brushed himself and walk back towards his cave. She was just starting to get back up when he spoke again.

"And be more careful next time you come to visit me, okay?" He'd manage to take two more steps before feeling her arms wrap around his chest from behind. Danny froze as he felt her hold on him tighten, but he made no move to stop her.

"Thank you," she mumbled before releasing him and flying off. Danny turned around to see her soaring off towards the large T-shaped building. With a smile and a warm feeling radiating from his chest, the hybrid let out a yawn before going back into his cave to sleep.

* * *

Just a few things I want to point out since I've seen it talked about in the reviews I've been getting.

1. Starfire and Danny weren't friends for two days, they were friends for about two weeks.

2. That is why Sam and Tucker betrayed them, so stop complaining about it already.

That's all I have to say about that, so please review.


	7. Chapter 7

As always, the saga continues.

* * *

Danny was jarred awake as plumes of dust from the cave ceiling rained down on him, the sound of thunder echoing throughout the cavern. Using his intangibility to escape the tangled mess of his blanket, the halfa rushed over to the entrance, shifting into his ghost form as he ran. His eyes widened as he took in the giant burning figure walking down the hillside, the trees catching fire as it walked towards the city. Just ahead of it, he could see a tiny speck firing green blasts into the trees, knocking them out of the creature's path.

"Starfire!" he yelled in alarm, just barely lifting off the before freezing in place. A massive burst of black energy struck the enflamed behemoth, extinguishing it and leaving a charcoal husk behind. He watched in horror as the flames burst back to life, the creature moving onwards towards its intended target. As his eyes followed the creature down, a debate raged on inside the hybrid's mind. He knew that he had to help them, but the moment the creature was be take care of, he'd be next. He just needed some way to hide his face.

The moment inspiration struck him, the teen brought his hands to his face and closed his eyes in concentration. Small tendrils of ice began to grow out from beneath his palms like vines along a wall. As his mind went over every detail, the ice moved to mimic what its master desired. When he finally lowered his hands, the halfa took off into the air as fast as he could, making sure to become invisible so he could make his entrance.

* * *

The fire creature was at the very edge of the city now, only a small sidewalk between it and the buildings. Three of the four Titans there used their powers in whatever method they could to keep the creature at bay, but had only managed to slow it. Starfire watched as the creature pushed beyond the jets of water sprayed at it and proceeded towards Jump City, her abilities useless against it.

"Isn't there anything that'll stop that thing?" asked Beast Boy after he transformed back to normal. He and his friends were taken by surprise as a guy pushed past him and Starfire and walked towards the fire monster. He wore a skin-tight black suit with white gloves, boots, and belt, which gave him an unearthly appearance. Most of his head was covered by a blue helmet that looked as smooth as glass and glistened like freshly fallen snow. A glowing green eye on the right side of his face was the only thing it seemed to refuse to hide.

It took the Tamaranean a moment before she recognized the boy marching towards the flame monster.

"Hey!" barked Cyborg in a worried tone, moving to stop him. "What do you think you're doing?!" The teen said nothing as he raised his hands towards the burning giant and fired a large burst of blue energy. A cry of pain escaped from the creature's maw as it staggered back, a thin layer of ice coating its chest for a few seconds before melting away.

"I can't believe it," murmured Cyborg as he and the others watched the sudden display.

"He's pushing it back," added Raven, feeling an incredible amount of ghostly energy emanating from the boy as he fired another blast. By the third attack, the fiery behemoth let out a ferocious roar before firing a beam of fire at the boy. His eye widened before firing another blue beam to intercept it. The two attacks connected with a thunderous bang, startling whatever birds had remained in the forest into the air. Both beams struggled for dominance in the middle for a few seconds, but the fire soon began to overpower the strange blue energy.

His arms began to shake as he forced more energy into the beam. The fire monster seemed to laugh at him mockingly as its own attack intensified, the flames eating away the blue energy at a faster rate. The masked teen let out a strained cry as the force from the attack pushed him to his knees. Just as the flames were about to consume him, a large stream of water flew at the creature. The fiery behemoth let out another pained cry as it was pushed back again, ceasing its attack on the boy.

* * *

Danny could still feel his arms shaking from the strain as he tried to push himself back to his feet. It was clear now that his cryokinesis wasn't strong enough to leave any lasting marks on the beast. His mind raced as he tried to come up with an idea to stop the monster when he felt a gentle pair of hands help him back to his feet. Looking to his right, the hybrid saw Starfire looking at him with great concern in her eyes.

"I'm alright," he replied, hoping to calm the girl down. "It's just been a while since I've used that much power." Before she could even reply, the sound of thunder boomed from above them. Both teens looked up to see dark clouds looming above, lightning flashing from inside. Rain poured down upon them, causing the creature to let out a horrible screech as it tried to shield itself from the downpour.

"Perfect," muttered the halfa confidently as he pulled out the Tamaranean's grip and took off into the air. Holding out his had before him, he fired a blue beam from his eye until a snowball the size of a basketball sat in the palm of his hand. A wicked smile graced his face as a green glow began to emanate from the snowball, though his mask kept it hidden under its icy sheen.

"Time to beat the heat," the hybrid cried before launching his creation at the beast. The Titans watched as awe as the blue/green comet flew through the air before smashing into the fire beast's chest. The monster staggered back for a moment before roaring at the boy floating before it. Danny merely folded his arms across his chest, watching as beams of blue energy started to pour out from where the snowball had struck it. More began to pour out from the across its body as it staggered back, clutching its chest. It managed to let out one last cry before being engulfed by the blue light and exploding.

Chunks of its charcoaled husk scattered amongst the forest, the little bits of fire still clinging to them going out in the continuing torrent of rain and encroaching frost.

'_I'd almost forgotten how good it felt to save the day,_' thought the halfa, his form slowly descending until his feet touched the ground again. He managed to let out a nostalgic, satisfied sigh before a sudden column of golden energy shot out from the clouds, revealing two teenagers dressed in what looked like ancient samurai armor. The blue and yellow teens walked over to the Titans, who were too distracted by their cheers of victory to notice their approach. The green changeling was the first to notice them, walking over to them with a light smile on his face.

"I am sorry for the trouble we have made," announced the blue teen, bowing slightly towards the small boy and placing a hand over the cloud-shaped symbol on his chest. The yellow teen crossed his arms over his chest, clearly unwilling to do the same. The taller one took noticed and gently nudged him with his elbow. A light smile came to the halfa's face as he watched the begrudging look on the yellow teen's face vanished completely.

"I am… also sorry," he said, bowing more extravagantly than his counterpart.

"You have taught us much green one," continued the blue one as he extended a hand out to the changeling, which he gladly took in a friendly handshake. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me," Beast Boy replied, releasing the blue teen's hand in order to wave away the gratitude before gesturing to Starfire. "Thank the person who taught me." Starfire walked over to the join the group, the blue and yellow teens bowing to her graciously.

"And thank you for helping to defeat the flame monster," she added, returning the bow. Danny smiled from underneath his mask as he watched the group of teenagers converse without a care in the world. With an approving nod, the halfa turned and began to walk away, up the path of destruction back to his cave. He was surprised when a large hand grasped onto his shoulder.

"Do not think we have forgotten about you, masked one," said the blue teen, turning the hybrid so that he was now facing the group. Both his and the yellow teen's eyes widened when they saw the emblem blazing on the ghost's chest. The two teen immediately performed the most respectful bow they could, surprising both the Titans and the ghost boy.

"It is a great honor to finally meet you, O Great One," announced the blue teen. Danny could feel the surprised gazes of the Titans burning into his as he watched the two teens straighten up in stunned silence. Immediately, the larger armored being grabbed his hand and began to shake it excitedly.

"It's… good to meet you…"

"Thunder," answered the blue one, releasing the hybrid's hand and gesturing to the yellow teen.

"And I am Lightning," added Lightning as he also shook the halfa's hand with as just much enthusiasm.

"You know this guy?" questioned Robin as he walked out from the forest and joined his friends. The two boys looked at the Titans in shock, sharing a quick glance with each other before looking back at them.

"You don't?" asked Thunder.

"He has saved your world dozens of times," said Lightning as he gestured to now squirming halfa. "Faced beings that send chills up the spines of the strongest immortals, and has fought the elements of nature itself and bested them." The Titans looked at him in awe, causing the ghost boy to nervously rub the back of his neck and avoid eye contact with them.

"Hold on," Cyborg interjected, snapping all the teens out of their stupor. "If he's done all the things you say, then how come we've never heard of him before?"

"I'm sure you have," answered Thunder, causing Danny to freeze. "There are very few people in all the realms who haven't heard of the great…"

"Stop!" barked the masked teen as he grabbed the larger teen by the shoulder, startling everyone by his commanding tone and earning a suspicious look from the boy wonder. The two brothers gave him a questioning look as he released his grip on the taller one and shook his head.

"The world isn't ready to accept me yet," he said with a solemn tone, turning and continuing the walk back to his cave. With every step he took, his body slowly faded from sight.

"And I don't want to be hurt again trying to be."

The seven teens just stared at the spot he'd vanished, letting what he'd said sink in. Only after a minute did Lightning finally break the silence.

"It really is a shame that he has become like this."

"What do you mean?" asked Starfire, becoming more concerned for her friend by the second.

"Though there are stories about his deeds, there is still much we do not know about him," Thunder answered, tearing his eyes away from the empty spot the hybrid had and letting them fall on the alien girl.

"Whatever has happened to him, it has left him broken and afraid."

* * *

Danny didn't release his invisibility until he neared the entrance to his cave. With a tired sigh, he removed his helmet and let it hand from his hand.

"Even while being hunted down like an animal, you can't resist being a hero, can you?" The hybrid froze for a moment before turning his head in the direction of the voice. Walking into the light was what seemed to be an old man a black tunic and white sash, a red robe sitting on top of the ensemble. But what really drew him in was the mask that covered the man's face. The part that covered the right half of his face was completely black, no visible eye hole in sight. The other half was a metallic orange with a cold, commanding eye peering out from it.

Without a second thought, the hybrid glared at the intruder, his free hand exploding with ecto-energy and aimed directly at him.

"You've got about ten seconds to leave before you see how much worse my bite is to my bark," he growled, his steely gaze challenging him to tempt him.

"Very well," the man said, giving the boy a light shrug before approaching the teen. Danny's eyes never left the man, watching him for any sudden move for a weapon or an attack. The man came to a stop right next to the teen, pausing for a moment before turning around and bringing his face right up to the teen's. His next few words chilled the ghost boy to right down to his bones.

"I'll be in touch…. Danny Phantom." The entire area light up as lightning streaked across the sky above them. The instant the light died away, the old man was gone, leaving the halfa whirling around in an effort to find him. When it became apparent the man was gone, Danny slumped down onto the ground, running a hand through his snow-white hair in dread.

'_I've been discovered…_'

* * *

Danny's in trouble now. What's is he gonna do, and why is Slade interested in him. Find out next chapter, and don't forget to review.


	8. Chapter 8

Starfire flew as fast as her sluggish body could towards Danny's home, keeping a tired eye open in case someone was following her. She hadn't been able to sleep since they had gotten home, her mind supplying her with a steady stream of worries about her white-haired friend. '_Whatever has happened to him, it has left him broken and afraid._' Thunder's words spurred her to go faster, renewing her body with a fresh burst of adrenaline.

She was surprised to see the teen slumped next to the entrance of his cave causing her to gasp. Her fears reached their peak as she rushed over to him, kneeling down and examining him with the utmost urgency. She could see no visible injuries on his body, other than old scars that peeked out of his collar from under his shirt. A light blush came to the Tamaranean's face as her movements slowed, her fingertips caressing the smooth skin that sealed the aged wounds. '_He has saved your world dozens of times, faced beings that send chills up the spines of the strongest immortals, and has fought the elements of nature itself and bested them_.'

'_You don't know anything about me!_' A deep sadness began to drip into her expression as the red-head watched the gentle rise and fall of his chest, her hand coming to rest at the edge of his neck and left shoulder. It was something she had come to realize last night, but her worries over what the blue teen had said had pushed it far from her mind… until now. She already knew much about her other friends; their habits, their hobbies, their likes, their dislikes. But she knew next to nothing about Danny, and that made her feel as though she'd failed him as a friend.

Shaking away the negative feelings, Starfire chose to continue her medical examination. Since he didn't seem to have any life-threatening injuries, the next step was to check for a fever. Tilting his head back, the alien girl placed her hand against his forehead, moving the matted wet mess of black hair away from his eyes. The faint red tint on her cheeks grew visibly darker as her eyes drank in his entire face.

His skin seemed to glisten in the evening light, almost as if it were projecting the sense of peace the expression on his face had. There was a slight amount of baby fat still clinging onto his cheek, extenuating the hardened muscles that sat just beneath them. Her heart began to tear itself apart as her fingers started to trace over the scar over his left eye. '_Why did he have to hide himself if he was such a great hero?_'

She was stirred out of her thoughts as his eyes began to open, the alien girl retracting her hand from his face quickly out of surprise. The hybrid looked at her with half glazed eyes, his vision too blurry to notice the redness of her cheeks. It took his mind moment of staring at the red-head kneeling in front of him before he recognized her.

"Starfire?" Danny mumbled as he muffled yawn. Both teens got back to their feet, the hybrid moving slower as his stiff joints groaned in protest.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, stretching the stiffness out of his limbs and waking himself up more in the process.

"I came to see if you were alright after what happened last night," Starfire replied, watching as Danny's body briefly turned a light shade of blue and the water falling from his body. "Why were you sleeping outside of your cave in the rain?" The hybrid stared at the Tamaranean for a moment before looking all around, as if searching for someone. Once he was sure no one was watching, he reached into his pocket and pulled out what appeared to be the remains of a transmitter.

"Someone knows I'm here, and I can tell it wasn't by accident." Starfire looked ready to protest, but he stopped her by raising his other hand.

"It's alright Star," he said with a disarming smile, "I know you had nothing to do with it." The red-head's worried expression didn't change, though she was relieved that she wasn't to blame.

"But how did this person know you are here?" she asked.

"I don't know," he muttered, his eyes falling onto the device as his brain was flooded the same questions that had formed after the encounter. "But it does mean that I have to leave this place."

"Leave?" asked the Tamaranean, panic beginning to slip into her tone. "Why do you have to leave?"

"Because I've been discovered," he replied, watching as ecto-energy engulf his hand and disintegrated the remains of the transmitter before turning to face the Tamaranean. "I've told you before that people will get hurt if they learn about my existence. The only way I can avoid that is to disappear when people get too close."

"Why?" she asked, earning a confused look from the black-haired teen. "Thunder and Lightning know about you, yet they did not get hurt because of it. Why is it dangerous if other people do?" A pained look crossed his face as he looked away from the girl, debating whether to tell her the truth or not. With a sigh, he brought his eyes back to hers, watching as the sadness inside them grew with each second they remained locked with his.

"Because I'm being hunted." Starfire let out a startled gasp as he turned his head away again, finding it too difficult keep eye contact with her.

"People do not hunt us. Why would they hunt you?" The ghost boy looked into her eyes again, determination joining the pain already projected in his eyes.

"It's because I'm half-ghost," he replied, trying to repress the tears that wanted to come out. "In their eyes, ghosts are nothing but evil creatures that have to be destroyed, and a half-ghost is just another type of ghost." Another moment of silence passed between the two before Starfire grabbed him by the wrist and started dragging him towards his cave.

"Starfire," Danny uttered in an alarmed tone, trying to pull free from her iron-like grip. "What are you doing?"

"I am going to gather your belongings and take you to the Tower." His eyes widened in fear from her statement, his body becoming intangible in order to escape the alien girl's clutches.

"No!" growled the halfa, his eyes forming a hardened glare as he backed out of the red-head's reach. "Absolutely not! I will not put you or your friends in that kind of danger."

"And I will not leave you to be hunted anymore," she replied, looking at him with as much determination as he was. "You do not have to worry about me or my friends. We are stronger than we look, and we will not stand by while another hero is in need of help."

"Starfire," he said, his voice much softer as he approached the alien girl, placing his hands on her shoulders and looking at her with softer expression. "The people hunting me are part of an organization with the sole purpose of destroying ghosts. They have weapons created specifically to take me down, and they aren't afraid to hurt others if it means getting their ghost. I would rather live like this for the rest of my life if it meant I was protecting innocent people from harm."

"Does this mean I will never see you again?" Danny could feel the sadness emanating from the girl as she gazed at him with a pleading look on her face, and it hurt him. His mind screamed at him to say yes, telling him to end this doomed friendship before she learned the truth about him and betrayed him. With a tired sigh, he started rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to steel himself for the answer he had to give.

"I've found a small island near the cliffs with a cave where I can stay hidden," he answered, mentally kicking himself for what he said. "If you're still set on visiting me, you can find me there." Though he knew it was coming, he was still shocked to find himself in another bone-crushing hug.

"This is most joyous news!" she announced before releasing the teen, giving him the biggest smile she could. "Please tell me, do you require assistance in the moving of your things?"

"No," he muttered as he rubbed one of his now aching arms. "I can move everything by myself. Besides, it's getting late and your friends will get worried if you stay out too long."

"You do not have to worry about my friends. Robin is busy doing the paperwork and everyone else is sleeping." The halfa stared at her for a moment, looking her up and down as if he were assessing an enemy.

"Alright," he said, earning an excited squeal from the Tamaranean. "But you have to do everything I say until we get there, alright?" The alien girl nodded vigorously, eager to be traveling with her friend.

"Wait out here," he commanded before transforming into his ghost form and walking into his cave. Once inside, he immediately made his way to his makeshift ice fridge and a fired a small ghost ray from his finger, cutting it free from the wall with utmost precision. Placing it on the pallet, the teen did a quick sweep before hefting the wooden board and carrying it outside.

Starfire watched him walk out with his belongings with an eager look on her face. The teen just ignored her as he set the pallet on the ground, shifting everything around until he was content with the placement. His hand ignited with the blue glow of his cryokinesis as the hybrid fired two quick bursts, creating two ice clamps that held everything down. The teen then gestured the girl to come, which she did without hesitation.

"Alright, I want you to sit on my bed and stay quiet. You're going to feel a slight tingling feeling after I pick this up, but don't let go, okay?" The red-head gave a short nod before sitting down on the mattress and gripping onto the sheets tightly. He gave her a quick nod before lifting the entire pallet into the air, grunting from the increased weight.

Starfire could only watch in awe as a green energy bubbled up over everything. She could feel a tingling sensation similar to a chill run through her body as the ghost boy's power flowed through her. The feeling was soon forgotten as her friend's belongings and her body vanished from sight, eliciting a gasp from the alien girl. She was caught even further off guard by the shushing sound coming from below.

"It's okay Starfire," whispered the halfa, his unseen eyes darting around in case someone heard. "I just made us invisible. Now hold on tight and stay quiet." He didn't even bother waiting for confirmation before taking to the air. The Tamaranean girl tightened her grip on the bed, watching in awe at the sight that appeared before her.

Jump City was alive with lights. Some buildings began to glow as the light around them dwindled, while others continued to glisten in the fading rays of the sun. The pinnacle of the city's dazzling display was Titans Tower, which stood like a beacon of hope for all who gazed upon it. Looking down at the whizzing landscape where her friend was supposed to be, she couldn't help but hope that one day it might mean the same thing to him.

Danny released their invisibility as they descended upon the island. The entire landmass looked like a fortress that had sprung straight out of the ocean. Jagged rocks stood closely clustered all around the landmass, impossible for any watercraft to approach. As they got closer, Starfire could see the large cave that sat at the only area with level ground.

The wood under her feet groaned as they landed, the young alien letting out a small yelp as the wooden pallet came to rest on the stone surface. She quickly got up from the bed and started to look around for the ghost boy when he flew up from the ground on the other side of the pallet.

"Are you alright Starfire?" asked Danny as he noticed the alien girl looking around quietly.

"This place does not feel as…nice as your old home," she replied, the entire environment sending chills up her spine.

"I'll admit, it's a lot creepier than I'd like," he acknowledged. "But I guess it's sort of fitting for a ghost to haunt somewhere creepy. Plus I won't have to worry about some robed guy in an orange mask sneaking into my cave again." Starfire froze at the comment, her fears and worries surfacing again.

"Slade," she uttered quietly, but not quietly enough.

"You know this person?" he asked, his face becoming hard to mask his . The Tamaranean nodded.

"He hired a team of villains to annihilate us, and from what Robin has told us, he used Thunder and Lightning to create the flame monster."

"No," muttered the teen, his face no longer able to contain the worry he felt at this revelation. The questions he'd had last night came whizzing back to the front of his mind, connecting with the latest piece of information to create a clear picture of what had happened. And that picture scared him to the core.

"Danny?" asked the Tamaranean as she approached him, her own fears growing from his reaction.

"It was bait."

"What?" asked Starfire, confused by the ghost boy's words.

"He already knew I was in Jump City," Danny replied, pacing as his thoughts spilled out from his mouth. "Slade summoned that monster in the forests because he knew I was there. Starfire," he continued before grabbing onto her shoulders.

"He used that monster as bait to find me."


	9. Chapter 9

After an incredibly long wait, the story continues.

* * *

Danny looked over towards the entrance of his cave for the umpteenth time since he woke up before finally giving up on his daily workout. He'd been getting distracted like this a lot lately, always looking out towards the stone shelf for his red-headed visitor. Releasing a tired sigh, he casually walked over to his bed and pulled out a dirty towel from his duffle bag. As he wiped away the starting of sweat droplets, his mind continued to wander towards the alien girl.

Ever since his little revelation over a month ago, the Tamaranean had been visiting him a lot more often. She'd hug him, see if he was alright, then try to convince him to come to the Tower. He'd turn her down, re-explain his reason for doing so, and then divert her attention from the subject by asking about how she was. After a couple stories of her adventures with her friends or her life on Tamaran, he'd point out how late it was and watch her leave.

This little routine lasted about two weeks, then she stopped seeing him altogether. At first, he didn't really mind, knowing that being a superhero left very little time for a personal life at times. But after a week, he found himself becoming distracted like he was now. There were times he'd just sit on the ledge outside, listening to the waves crashing against the rocks, waiting till the sun finally set before going to bed.

The halfa shook his head in an irritated manner. '_Since when have I cared about her not visiting?_' he thought, letting out a frustrated growl as he caught himself staring at the entrance again. It was another thing he'd come to think about in the past few days. From the very first moment they met, he had wanted nothing to do with her. He had yelled at her, frightened her with the sheer strength of his powers, and had hurt her feelings.

Yet she continued to visit him.

After seeing the worst of him and enduring his harsh attitude, Starfire still came to see him. She withstood everything to see the hurt, lonely person he had tried so hard to hide. He couldn't help but feel touched that after everything he put her through, the Tamaranean would still want to see him. The hybrid's face fell when another fact about the alien girl's visits came to the forefront of his mind.

They were the reason Slade had found him.

It was the only explanation he could think of. He'd been careful when he went into the city, staying invisible whenever he went to steal food or do his laundry. Not even the G.I.W., who were supposed to have the best ghost-hunting technology in the world, had been able to track him, and he'd been in the same city for over three months. It was only after his last visit from the red-head that he'd finally figured it out.

It was clear from her description that Slade was a master strategist, someone who would study their enemy closely and set traps in order to realize their goals. What his goals were, the halfa could only guess, but what he did figure out was that they involved the Titans. He was watching them, studying each one extensively, looking for anything he could exploit to ensure the success of this plans. This villain would no doubt notice Starfire flying off to remote areas of the city multiple times, and he would no doubt discover that it was him she was flying off to see. Then all Slade would have to do is get a good look at either his face or the insignia on his chest and he would figure out who the teen was.

Oh, he'd been furious when he'd figured this out, smashing several craters into the stone walls as he berated himself. But the thing that he found strange was that none of that anger was directed towards Starfire. He couldn't find it in himself to blame her for not realizing what Slade was doing, or for all the problems that came with her visits. When it came to her, all he could feel was a warm feeling he'd almost forgotten about.

"Danny?" The black-haired teen quickly whipped his head around to see Starfire standing in front of his cave. A smile quickly grew on his face, but it disappeared just as quickly when he realized it wasn't the usual Starfire. Normally she would just rush in, give him a hug, and then drown him with an endless stream of questions. This Starfire just stood at the entrance, looking in with pleading eyes, hugging herself as though her arms were the only things holding her together.

"Starfire," he said softly before hurrying out of the cave and grabbing onto her shoulders.

"What's wrong?" he asked, his eyes portraying the worry he felt towards the Tamaranean. The alien girl looked surprised by his reaction for a moment before allowing the sadness inside to melt her expression into a sad one.

"Am I not a trustworthy person?" Now it was the halfa's turn to look surprised, the red-head's eyes looking at him for an answer.

"What are you talking about?" he asked, concern clearly etched on his features. Starfire pulled out of his grip and walked over to the edge of the stone shelf, sitting down and looking out towards the sea. Danny sat right next to her, waiting for her to answer his question.

"Robin has been trying to learn more about Slade ever since we first heard about him," she began in a small voice, the hybrid's heart becoming heavier because of it. "Unfortunately, everything he has tried has led him to a dead-end, so he decided to disguise himself as a thief named the Red X in order to get closer to Slade. But he did not tell us about this, claiming he could not risk us holding back if he wanted to convince Slade."

The Tamaranean closed her eyes in a failed effort to hold back the tears starting to stream down her face. The ghost boy looked at her, guilt filling him as he watched her cry, knowing he was doing the same thing Robin did. She stiffened as she felt two thin, strong arms wrap themselves around her waist, pulling her into a warm, firm object. Her head spun around to see Danny now sitting behind her, his eyes closed as he held her close to his body as it slowly rocked back and forth.

"What are you…" sputtered Starfire, her cheeks inflamed with shades of red and pink. The halfa silenced her with a calming shush, his eyes remaining shut as he started humming. At first she was confused about what he was doing, awkwardly shifting back and forth along with him. It wasn't long before she too closed her eyes, listening intently to the ghost boy's little tune. With every note he hummed, she could feel her misery trickle away and her body relax into the boy. She couldn't help the small smile that crept onto her face as the tiny vibrations from his chest tickled her back and shook out whatever discomfort she was still feeling.

As soon as he hit the last note, Starfire could feel the pressure of his arms around her stomach disappear. Her eyes snapped open instantly, watching her friend as he got back to his feet and moved back to her left.

"Feel better?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a knowing smile. The Tamaranean quickly looked down, trying to hide the blush that was still present on her cheeks.

"Yes," she muttered meekly, looking back at the ghost boy from the corners of her eyes. Once she had her cheeks back to their normal color, she turned back to look at him. "How did you know that would work?"

"My mother used to sing that to me every time I was scared or upset," he replied, giving the alien girl one last look before leaning back onto his elbows and looking up at the glistening stars above. The smile on his face fell as the old memories came rushing back to him, their sweetness and the bitterness of his more recent ones ruining his good mood. Starfire watched as his eyes took on a more distant appearance, frowning along with him.

"You miss her, do you not?"

"I miss what she used to be," he said softly, earning a questioning glance from his friend.

"What do you mean by used to be?" The halfa stared at her for a moment, as if considering his options.

"Don't worry about it," he replied quietly, giving her a fake smile before looking off into the distance again. "The last thing you should worry about is my past." The Tamaranean looked down for a moment, as if trying to decide something.

"Can you tell me anyway?" Danny's spun around in surprise, catching the full brunt of her pleading green eyes. "I have known you longer than any of my other friends, yet I know the least about you. I know you do not trust easily, but can I not learn more about my friend?" The hybrid could only grimace under her gaze, his head and heart combating for dominance.

"Alright," he said with a tired sigh. "But for your safety, I can't share everything with you, okay?" A bright smile came onto the girl's face at his answer, returning her answer with a quick nod. The halfa let out another sigh as he turned his attention back to the sea.

"My parents have always been fascinated by ghosts, though whether it was the scientific aspect or the hunting, I don't know. But since their college days, they would develop numerous devices that would either aid in catching ghosts or power things using ectoplasm, the substance ghosts are made of. By the time I was 3, they had already turned our basement into a high-tech lab where they could continue their research. They would always be busy working on the next project, but they would always find the time to either play with me and my sister or help us with whatever problems we had."

"Then came the day they finished their crowning achievement, a portal that would give them access to an entire dimension of ghosts, called the Ghost Zone. They had brought my sister and I down to see it activate. Like most of their inventions back then, the portal didn't work, so we didn't really pay attention to it at the time. I showed it to my friends after school while my parents were out, and one of them told me to go inside and check it out. I was a little hesitant at first, but she had managed to talk me into it."

"I donned on my haz-mat suit and walked inside. It was pitch black inside, so I put my hand along the wall so I could feel where I was going. Unfortunately, my dad had placed the on switch inside the portal and it was still plugged in. After that, all I can remember is an inhuman amount of pain and the color green." Starfire let out a startled gasp when the white ring appeared around him, transforming the black-haired teen into his ghost form.

"When I stumbled out, I was like this," he said, gesturing to his ghost form. "I never told my parents about the accident, or about becoming half-ghost. At first, it was out of fear that they would despise me because I was a ghost, then because I wasn't ready yet to tell them. For years I would lie to them, saving people from ghosts while my own parents tried to capture me and tear me apart 'molecule by molecule'."

"Then one night, I came home after a fight with my arch-enemy and my mother called me down to help her and my dad in the lab. I went down and found myself surrounded by ghost hunters, each one with their weapons trained on me, including my parents. It was there that I found out my friends had told them about my secret and all four of them had sided with the ghost hunters. I tried to reason with them, begged them to understand…" Turning to face her, Danny brought a finger to the scar over his left eye.

"This was my mother's response to my pleas. In her eyes, I took her son from her, so she decided to take something from me." He was surprised when the alien girl suddenly latched herself onto him, holding him as close as she could. He remained stunned for a moment before he hugged her back, feeling a strange sense of contentment as he held her.

"I am sorry," she mumbled, her heart heavy from the ghost boy's tale. "I should not have asked."

"Don't be," he replied, pushing her away enough to look her in the eyes. "You've put up with so much from me, it's only fair that I tell you about myself. Besides, if I really didn't want to share, I would have said so." The two teens shared a grateful smile as they finally separated, basking in the warmth of each other's company.

"So," continued the halfa, breaking the comfortable silence between them. "Is there anything else you'd like to know?" Starfire seemed hesitant to answer, worried that she'd end up bringing up another sad topic to him. It took a few moments of careful thinking before she remembered one that had been bothering her for a long time.

"Why did you let me go?" The teen was caught off guard by the question.

"What do you mean?" he asked, stunned by what she had said.

"I have seen the things you can do with your powers, the overwhelming strength you hold. You could have easily ended my life, yet you did not. Why?"

He looked down in deep thought when he realized what she was talking about, Starfire waiting patiently as he tried to come up with an answer. Memories of that night flowed through his mind as he re-lived that moment, seeing the fear in her evergreen eyes.

"Because I was in that same position a year ago," he finally said after what seemed like an eternity. "I know what it's like to look up at the person holding your life in their hand and wonder if they will take it. When I saw you looking up at me with those fear-filled eyes, I saw myself staring back and I knew I couldn't do it."

"And I'm glad I didn't…," he added, giving the alien girl a biggest smile he'd given in a long time. "…because now the world has another great hero to protect it, one with the kindest heart the universe has to offer." Starfire stared at him for a moment, her cheeks steadily growing warm as his compliment hit her. Looking away, the red-head tried to regain control of her burning cheeks, finding it even harder than before.

"Thank you," she muttered, unable to speak any louder than a whisper or look him in the eyes. She let out a startled gasp as a cold hand came to rest on her shoulder, causing her to turn and see the kindly expression on the ghost boy's face.

"That's what friends are for," he replied, his glowing green eyes sparkling with mirth. The Tamaranean had gotten so lost in the enthralling glow that she hadn't noticed that the teen had gotten back to his feet until her view was blocked by his gloved hand.

"You'd better hurry back," the halfa stated as helped the alien girl back to her feet. "Don't want to worry your other friends, now do we?" Starfire shook her head in response and took off into the air. Danny watched his friend fly off until she vanished completely from sight before walking back into the cave.

'_You've let her get too close,_' echoed the doubts in his mind, determined to re-establish its dominance. '_You know she is going to find out who you really are. All it will take is a slip of the tongue or a little digging on her part and she will turn on you, just like Sam and Tucker. It won't be much longer before you're hurt and alone all over again._'

Danny let out a tired sigh as his doubts began to drown out the release and enjoyment he'd felt talking with Starfire. '_I know,_' he replied, changing back into his human form as he reached his bed. '_I know this friendship will only end up hurting me in the end, but that doesn't mean I don't want to enjoy the time I've got left._' A tired yawn escaped his lips as he collapsed upon the mattress, his eyes closing as sleep began to overtake him. Just before he surrendered himself to his dreams, one final thought passed through his mind.

'_Just a little bit longer. Please last just a little bit longer._'

* * *

How much longer can he keep his identity a secret from her? Find out in the next exciting installment.

The song Danny was humming was The Prayer by originally played by Celine Dion and recently re-done by a Johnathan and Charlotte. Check it out.


	10. Chapter 10

After such a long wait... the saga continues

* * *

There was a strange chill in the air when Danny returned to his cave. His eyes did a quick scan around the island's surface as he re-adjusted the bags in his hands. He took a few tentative steps inside when he heard the slightest scuffle near one of the walls. In a blur of motion, he threw the bags in his right hand in the direction, his eyes narrowing as he watched a silhouette move to avoid the bag. He didn't give the person another chance as he threw the second bag where he saw they were heading.

"Good," announced the figure as his hand shot out from the shadows and grabbed the bag, revealing a grey glove and a section of armor along the forearm. "You're senses are sharper than they were before."

"Slade," growled the halfa, watching as the rest of the man walked out from the shadows as he dropped the bag. He wasn't wearing the robes or hat like he had before, but now a black leotard with a sliver of silver around the utility belt. Patches of armor plates sat along his arms, legs, and shoulders, clearly more for show than actual protection. A metal collar sat around his neck, leading up to the black and orange mask with a single eye hole along the orange side.

"And you seem to have done some research as well. Well done," he applauded, slowly clapping his hands as he got closer. "You've gotten better since your days in Amity Park."

"If you've done so much research on me, then you should know why you shouldn't play games with me," growled the teen, his hands igniting with ecto-energy.

"Relax Daniel," Slade replied, clearly unaffected by the thinly veiled threat if his calm voice was anything to go by. "I am not here to fight. I'm here to give you the chance to finally be free of this life you have been forced to live."

"As tempting as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass," announced the ghost boy. "I've got a policy against working with criminals."

"That's a shame," replied the armored man before rushing the teen. Danny barely moved to avoid the fist that flew towards him, grabbing the masked criminal by the wrist as he ducked. Green electricity ran through the boy's body, distracting him enough for the man's knee to make contact with his face and send him reeling out of the cave.

"Because you still have so much to learn," Slade continued as he walked out from the cave, his eye never leaving the teen as he stopped stumbling. Danny only growled at him before charging at him again, throwing a punch of his own. The masked villain merely sidestepped the blow before blocking the backhand aimed for his head. The teen smirked as he aimed his free hand at the villain's abdomen and fired a ghost ray, taking satisfaction from the surprised look in the man's eye before he was blown back.

"I think you're the one who needs to learn Slade," announced the teen, his glowing green eyes bearing down at the masked man as he used the momentum of the attack to flip back onto his feet. "No amount of research is enough to give you leverage against me."

"Not even if it involved your new little friend," questioned Slade, his eye displaying the smirk that was surely hidden under his mask. Danny froze, the fear clear on his face. Before he could even recover, a metal pole struck him on the shoulder, bringing the teen to his knees with an agonizing cry. He'd barely managed to open his eyes before the pole struck him in the face with a sickening crunch.

"That's right, I know all about your friendship with the girl," said the criminal mastermind in a voice as slick as grease, watching as the ghost picked himself up from the ground. "But we both know that won't last much longer."

"Shut up!" growled the teen as he fired a ghost ray, the man dodging it with minimal effort.

"You think she won't find out the truth?" he asked. "You think she won't betray you like everyone else you've ever cared about?"

"She's not like them!" the teen shouted as he charged at the man, his fists inflamed with ecto-energy. Danny rained blow after blow at the man, punching and kicking at every available opportunity, exploiting any opening he could find. Slade didn't even seem affected by the constant barrage as he dodged most of the attacks, deflecting the ones he couldn't with his staff.

"Why?" asked the villain as he swung his staff, the halfa dodging by jumping back. "Because she isn't afraid of you? Because she will go behind her teammates' backs just to see you? We both know the only reason she's doing all this. Because she doesn't know who you really are."

"That's not the reason!" barked the teen as the green glow around his hands turned blue, sending dozens of icicles at the villain. Slade seemed to dance around the frozen daggers as he closed the gap between the two.

"Yes it is," the villain replied as he swung his weapon again, striking the hybrid's exposed left side. "She keeps coming to you because she doesn't know that you are Danny Phantom, most wanted ghost in America. Once she learns this, she will despise you, just like the others." Danny ignored the pain in his side as he staggered back, his burning gaze never leaving the man.

"That's a lie!" he barked, though there wasn't much conviction in his tone. "She doesn't care what I am."

"Now who's lying," taunted the villain, circling the teen like a lion stalking his prey. "We both know she will turn on you when she learns about your real identity, fulfilling her duty as a hero." Doubts began to cloud the teen's mind, fighting their way to the forefront of his brain as he tried to keep focused on the villain.

"I guess that really would make her your friend." That comment was the final straw. Danny roared out in anger as he charged the criminal, unaware that the villain had pulled something out of his utility belt until it was too late. The ghost teen leapt into the air to tackle the man down when Slade threw a small blue circular device at him. The moment the little device landed on the ghost teen's chest, electricity shot all across his body. The blinding pain was enough of a distraction to allow Slade to grab onto his still outstretched arm and slam him into the ground, bending the limb back so that the palm was flat on the ground.

"You may be better than you were in Amity Park, but you are still no match against a serious opponent," explained the villain as he released the boy's arm. "But I can make you better, stronger. Never again will you have to live fearing for the day someone finally strikes you down."

"But you'd ask me to destroy the Titans in return," Danny replied, a quiet groan escaping as he rolled over and tried to pick himself up. "Hurt the only person on Earth who hasn't tried to use or destroy me."

"But you already are," replied Slade in a condescending tone, retracting his bo-staff and returning it to his belt. "For every minute you continue to hide the truth from her, you cause her that much more pain when she learns the truth. What does it matter what method you use if it reaches the same outcome?"

"Just because you don't have any problem hurting people doesn't mean I do. I don't want to hurt anyone, especially Starfire, not after all she's done for me," grunted the teen as he propped himself up against the stone to help in his quest to get back onto his feet.

"All she has done is made you weak. Before you met her, you had managed to avoid detection from the best ghost hunters in the world, the Justice League, and every other superhero on the planet. Now you're bending over backwards and risking capture by the Guys In White just so you can stay friends with a girl who visits you out of pity."

"Liar!" barked the teen, throwing a glowing fist at the man. Slade dodged the fist and lunged forward, grabbing the hybrid throat and slamming him into stone wall. An agonized scream tore itself from the ghost boy's throat as waves of green energy washed over him from where the man gripped him, the pain coming from a device he knew all too well.

"If that's true, then what reason could she possibly have to visit a cold, bitter hermit like you when she has her friends?" Danny's mind worked feverishly to try to answer the criminal's question, but when nothing came up, his sadness and doubt consumed him. The mastermind seemed to smirk under his mask as he took in the ghost's defeated expression.

"You're nothing more than a sad, pathetic little stray to her. If she didn't feel so compelled to visit you, she would be able to spend more time with people she actually cares about…like Robin." The teen could feel his heart sinking at those words, though at which ones, he hadn't a clue. His thoughts only added to the sadness pooling in him, drowning the ghost in the depths of loneliness and despair.

It was then he felt it.

It was just a flicker of an idea, a single spark that had managed to break through the dark clouds engulfing his consciousness. His breathing hitched as the thought grew stronger, dispelling the despair and filling him with warmth and resolution. The feeling surprised the ghost boy for a moment, but that surprise disappeared as a new fire came to the boy's glowing green eyes. Slade's eye widened in surprise at the sudden change in the ghost's demeanor before a white boot slammed right into his belt's buckle. A pained cry escaped the villain as he was forced back, the components of his belt buckle shorting out in a burst of green electricity and smoke. The masked mastermind looked up to see the halfa rising back onto his feet, looking down at him with a determined glare.

"I don't care what the reason is that Starfire visits me," announced the teen, earning a surprised look from Slade. "If she wants to spend all her time with her other friends, then so be it. She is my friend and I would do whatever I can to make her happy." Without warning, an eerie green glow surrounded the villain and lifted him into the air. The man tried to break free, but none of his limbs seemed able to listen or break the hold of the energy surrounding him. Danny aimed his glowing hand at the criminal, his eyes becoming engulfed by the same colored energy as he concentrated.

"Now get out of my home!" Without any further warning, the criminal mastermind was sent flying backwards, over the edge and down into the rocky waters below. Danny gingerly walked over to the ledge and looked out towards sea below.

"Now who's wet behind the ears!" shouted the teen, a slight smirk coming to his face. As he started back towards his cave to assess his injuries, a single thought passed through his mind.

'_Man I missed using witty banter._'

* * *

Slade sat in his large metal chair, watching the final moments of the fight before his robot's feed was ended. Pressing a button on one of the arms, he rewound the video feed up to the moment the ghost teen looked ready to surrender and let it play again.

"It seems he'll need a little more persuasion," announced the masked villain as he pressed another button on the opposite arm.

* * *

What is Slade planning, and what did he just do. Keep reading and reviewing to find out.


	11. Chapter 11

The saga continues...

* * *

"She's not just a car, she's my car and I'm gonna find her, whether you guys help me or not." With that, the cybernetic teen stormed away, leaving the remaining Titans and the drenched electrical villain in front of the electronics store.

"Should we go after him?" asked Beast Boy, worried that his friend might get into trouble or do something he might regret.

"No," replied their leader, looking down at the captured Overload. "Right now we need to take Overload to jail. Besides, Cyborg could use some time to cool down."

"The Teen Titans I presume." The four superheroes quickly spun around to see a young woman around their age walking up towards them. She wore a skin-tight black jumpsuit with a white belt sitting snuggly on her waist. A white shoulder holster was wrapped around her arms, a strange gun sitting in each holster. Her jet black hair flowed down to her shoulder blades, lightly swishing side to side as she walked towards them.

"And you are?" asked Robin, giving the girl a questioning glance.

"Agent S of the Guys In White," replied the girl, reaching into her belt and showing them her badge.

"Guys in What?" asked the changeling.

"The Guys in White," answered Robin, his eyes narrowing on the girl as he moved to stand right in front of her. "A government organization created for the extermination of supernatural threats, though their track record hasn't been very good. What business do you have with us?"

"We've received an anonymous tip that a dangerous criminal has been sighted around this city, one that has been at the top of our most wanted list for some time now." The agent quickly re-pocketed her badge and pulled out a piece of paper, which she held out to the four heroes to see. On it was a picture of a teenager about 14 years old with messy snow-white hair and burning green eyes. He wore a black hazmat suit with white gloves, belt, collar, and a ghostly D on his chest. The things that really stood out about him was the fact that his hands were glowing green and that he had nothing but a wispy black tail from the belt line down.

"His name is Danny Phantom, the most dangerous ghost in existence." Starfire let out a gasp, which no one seemed to take notice of. There was no way what this girl was saying was true.

"Dude! That's the guy who helped us stop the fire monster!" shouted Beast Boy. An expression of satisfaction came to the black clad agent's face as she handed the picture to Robin.

"And how long ago was this incident?"

"Over a month ago, why?" asked Robin, his eyes raised in a skeptical manner.

"We've been looking into the police records to see if the tip we received was accurate and have discovered that for the past three months, there has been a string of seemingly unrelated robberies all over the city," the black-haired girl answered. "The most recent one happening just a few days ago, which means he's still in the city somewhere."

"If you already know he's here, then why haven't you found him yet?" asked Raven in a skeptical monotone.

"Phantom is a… unique ghost," replied Agent S, clearly trying to hide something. "And compared to some of his other achievements, hiding from ghost detection devices is nothing, which is why you must not engage him if you find him."

"Please. We've fought crazy super-villains, evil aliens, and an entire guy made of electricity." dismissed Beast Boy, pointing at the villain wrapped in the wet carpet just by their feet near the end. "I'm sure we can take on one ghost."

"This 'one ghost' fought Pariah Dark single-handedly and won."

"Impossible," replied Raven in a disbelieving tone. "It took thirteen ancient, powerful spirits to defeat him. There is no way Phantom could take Pariah on alone."

"Who is Pariah Dark?" asked Starfire, not liking the tone in her friend's voice.

"Pariah Dark was the king of the Ghost Zone," the agent answered. "And Phantom did defeat him, which is why you must not engage him." Reaching into her belt again, Agent S pulled out a small business card and handed it to the Titan leader.

"Here's my card. My team and I will be in the city for a few weeks while we try to find him, so we'll be over immediately if you find him." With that, the agent casually strolled away, leaving Robin and the other to stare at the card.

"I don't believe her," said Beast Boy, earning confused looks from everyone. "I totally think we can handle taking down this ghost."

"I wouldn't be so quick to do so," countered Raven. "She was definitely hiding something, but she did tell the truth. Pariah Dark reigned for hundreds of years because of his nearly limitless power. If Phantom did defeat him single-handedly, then we may need to do as she says."

"Maybe, but right now our main priority is to take Overload to jail." The rest of the team nodded at their leader in acceptance, quietly keeping to themselves while they waited for the prisoner transport to arrive. Starfire simply stared out at the bay in the direction of her friend's cavernous home with a saddened look in her eyes, letting what she'd learned sink in.

She felt conflicted. She wanted so badly to believe that the girl had lied to her and her friends, but she couldn't. The things she had learned from the agent and her friends coincided with what little Danny had shared with the Tamaranean almost perfectly.

'_The people hunting me are part of an organization with the sole purpose of destroying ghosts._'

'_The Guys in White, a government organization created for the extermination of supernatural threats._'

'_He has saved your world dozens of times, faced beings that send chills up the spines of the strongest immortals, and has fought the elements of nature itself and bested them_.'

'_Pariah Dark reigned for hundreds of years because of his nearly limitless power._'

'_Only a monster can cause such fear._'

"Starfire?" The alien girl quickly spun around in surprise to see Robin looking at her in concern, a prison transport vehicle behind him driving away. "Are you okay?"

"Everything is fine," she replied, giving the boy wonder her best fake smile to try to convince him, but she couldn't do it, not to her friend.

"I was thinking about Phantom," she corrected, her smile falling as she looked away.

"Don't worry, Star. Whatever he's planning, we can handle it." The Tamaranean girl gave the boy a small, fake smile, which he returned with his own smile.

"I'll go after Cyborg, try to see if I can stop him from doing something he'd regret," announced Raven, taking to the air in the direction their metal friend had left. Robin nodded in acknowledgement before turning back to Starfire with an embarrassed expression of his face.

"Hey Starfire, could you… give me a lift back to the Tower?" he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck while avoiding looking her in the eyes. She stared at him for a moment before letting out a slight giggle and grabbing him by the arm. The teenage superhero didn't even have time to react before both of them were in the air, flying to their home as fast as she could without hurting him. The moment they landed on the roof, the alien girl wished her friend goodnight and rushed to the stairway, leaving a bewildered and dazed boy wonder staring at the closing door.

* * *

_A few hours later..._

A tired sigh escaped the ghost teen's lips as he picked himself up off the ground, his eyes scanning the horizon one last time before returning back to his cave. He'd been on edge the past few days since Slade's last visit, his eyes scanning every dark shadow like he used to before he'd met Starfire. Though he wouldn't admit it, he'd grown addicted to the alien girl's words of encouragement.

"Danny?" The hybrid stopped just outside the mouth of his home, turning on a dime to see his friend touching down on the ground. Almost immediately, a smile came to his face as his worries seemed to fade into the deep recesses of his mind.

"Hey Star," he greeted, almost jogging over to her until he saw the sadness in her eyes.

"Are you Danny Phantom?" His blood froze, the smile on his face vanishing as fear began to wrap its cold fingers around his heart. He was so stunned by what she had asked that there was only one thing he mouth seemed capable of asking.

"Wha…What did you say?"

"Are you Danny Phantom?" she repeated, cautiously moving closer. Danny turned his head away from her, his mind in a frenzy as it tried to come up with some excuse while his heart pleaded with whatever deity was listening that this was a bad dream.

"Please tell me you are not Danny Phantom," she begged, grabbing the boy's face and forcing him to look into her eyes as tears streaked down her face. "Tell me that the agent was lying and that you are not the most dangerous ghost in existence that has been stealing from the city." She watched in anguish as his face shifted in her hands in an attempt to avoid her eyes, his eyes closing as a pained, guilty expression crossed his face. Starfire released his face, backing away from him as he looked back at her with a pleading look in his eyes.

"Starfire please, let me explain."

"No!" she shouted surprising the teen with the harshness in her tone. "You are a liar and a criminal. I cannot be friends with someone like you."

He could feel a familiar scar in his heart open up again, allowing all of his doubts to seep in destroy his hopes again. He just stared at her for a moment, his eyes showing the complete devastation he'd been feeling inside until he hid it under his expressionless mask again.

"I understand. How long until your friends and the Guys In White come?" he asked in a calm, quiet tone.

"They are not coming," she replied in an equally quiet tone, the hurt clearly evident in her voice. "I needed to know if what the agent said was true." Danny nodded in understanding before releasing the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"I know this probably doesn't mean anything to you anymore, coming from me, but I really am sorry." The alien girl didn't say anything as she turned away from him, taking to the air and beginning her journey back home.

"Starfire…wait." The alien girl continued to hover in the air, though she refused to turn around. Danny looked down for a moment, biting his lip while he tried to find the right words.

"I've always known this was going to happen. Ever since you convinced me to let you visit, I've known someday you'd find out and despise me like everyone else did. At first, I acted cold towards you, waiting for any chance I could to get you to leave me alone so I couldn't get hurt when you found out the truth."

"But you never left. No matter how bad I treated you or how much I scared you, you never stopped coming to see me. It seemed like no matter what I did, it could never stop you from calling me your friend. After I realized that, I thought, 'Maybe she'll be different, maybe it's okay to have a friend again'."

"Then came the night the flame monster attacked. I saw you fighting it, and I was ready to charge over there and do whatever I could to help. But I knew if I just went down there, I'd end up losing the only person on the whole planet who actually cared about me. That's why I created my mask and why I stopped Thunder and Lightning from revealing my identity to everyone, so I could be your friend for just a little longer. I didn't even care about Slade using you to track and find me because I never wanted to lose you."

"But it doesn't matter now. You know the truth and I've lost a friend. I won't ask you to forgive me, or pretend you never found out the truth, because I know I don't deserve to. But I will ask you not to change who you are because of what I did. The world still needs people like you Star, people who are kind, innocent, and a friend to anyone who needs it, whether they deserve it or not. Can you promise me that?" Danny just watched as she continued to float in the air above him, the steady stream of tear drops running down her face never stopping. After a moment or two, she just nodded, earning a small sad smile from the ghost teen.

"Goodbye Starfire, I hope the rest of your life is filled with as much joy as your visits brought to mine." With that, he started walking back into his cave, looking back one last time to see her form fade off into the distance. He barely took three steps into his home before the sadness became too much for him to bear. Danny dropped to his knees right there and clutched at his aching heart, tears streaming down his face as a cry of anguish tore itself from his throat.

* * *

This is truly one of the hardest chapters I've ever had to write.

I know it might seem like it, but this is not the end of the story, so don't bite my head off just yet.


	12. Chapter 12

After much waiting and work... the saga continues!

* * *

"Danny?" Starfire called out from the entrance of the cave, her head whipping back and forth for any sign of the ghost boy as she entered. Raising a glowing hand in the air, she walked into the black abyss, the light from her starbolt bathing everything within a few feet of her in a calming green glow. She saw a few pieces of ice clinging to the wall and floor on her right, but that seemed to be all that remained of the halfa.

"Danny?" she called again, hearing some of the panic and urgency reverberating back in her echo as she continued deeper inside.

"Please come out. I must talk to you." The cavern seemed only to mock the alien girl as it replayed her words again and again, fading with each repeat. But she ignored them, focusing on her surroundings for any hint of Danny. The next thing she knew, she was in front of a large stone wall, the very end of the cave.

"He is not here," she said, more to distract her from the sense of defeat and keep her focused on her mission. "He must be at his other cave in the forest." With newfound determination, the Tamaranean took to the air moving as fast and stealthily as she could, the starbolt in her hand dying away as she flew back towards the entrance. A black and white blur shot intercepted her just before she could leave, the force of the collision knocking both her and the object out of the air and tumbling along the cave floor.

A groan pushed itself up from Starfire's throat, her mind still reeling from the collision. A deep grunt from above her cleared the daze almost instantly, noticing that there was someone lying on top of her. A smile began to grow as she saw the pale, unearthly glow around his body, the skin-tight black and white hazmat suit, and the unruly snow white locks of his hair.

"Danny!" The teen jerked away, his glowing green eyes wide with fear and surprise at the forest green eyes glistening excitedly at him. Moving on instinct, the halfa jumped back onto his feet and grabbed the alien girl by the arm. With a swift yank, the girl was pulled into his arms, spun around, and silenced by a hand over her mouth.

"Stay still and be quiet," he whispered into her ear, the metal baubles around her neck jingling as he dragged her to a group of stalagmites on their left. A cold, numbing sensation ran through her body as the white rings erupted out from his waist, traveling along their bodies until he was back in his human form. She looked up to see him staring intently at the entrance, her eyes following his and widening at the sight of the small metal ball moving inside. The little device gently bobbed through the air, the large green eye at its center glowing as it projected a shimmering green light upon the ground it stared at. Patches of luminescent footprints were revealed, earning a small beep from the device.

She felt the arm around her waist tighten as the little device got closer, pulling her closer to the halfa as he pressed them both even further into the stalagmite. They froze when the green light bathed the wall in front of them, the rock outcrop shielding them from the strange glow. The glow lasted for a few seconds before another beep sounded and the little machine continued further inside.

Danny relaxed his hold on the alien girl, though he didn't let go completely. Peeking out, the halfa watched as it scanned another section of the cave, though there was nothing appeared under the light as before. The droid took another ten minutes to scan the rest of the cavern before turning around, bobbing its way back to the entrance. They watched it exit the hollow and fly up into the sky, disappearing beyond the top of the opening. The Tamaranean just stared at where the robot vanished, not even moving until a sudden lack of contact snapped her out of her trance. She watched with growing fear as Danny bolted towards the exit, his body transforming with every step.

"Do not go," The hybrid stopped as something grabbed him firmly by the wrist. He spun around on instinct, ecto energy coming to life in his free hand as he drew the fist back. Staring back at him was Starfire, her forest green eyes soft and glistening with fear as they silently begged him.

"Please." His hardened battle face faded into stunned disbelief for the briefest of moment, a spark of hope coming to his eyes before he turned away from her. He could feel the sadness and pain burning through him again from the spark she had instilled again, those words echoing through his head.

'_You are a liar and a criminal. I cannot be friends with someone like you._'

Her face fell into utter devastation when he turned his back to her, ripping his hand out of her grip. Without looking back at her, the ghost teen jumped into the air, his legs shifting into a wispy black tail. He was surprised when two arms wrapped themselves around his chest, feeling the side of her face press into his back.

"Please!" she cried desperately. "I do not want to see you captured and broken by the Guys In White." The halfa jerked out of her grip again and spun to around to face her, but made no move to leave. His thoughts were going a mile a minute, yet he felt completely dumbstruck by her statement, which left him only one logical reply.

"What?!"

The roar of engines echoed all around them, snapping the ghost teen out of his stupor and back to his present situation. His darted from side to side for any visual sign of the GIW, as did Starfire. The Tamaranean girl let out a small squeak as she felt something cold grab onto her hand.

"Hang on!" Without further warning, Danny shot off towards the cliffs as fast as he could, Starfire letting out a small yelp of surprise as she was dragged along. Her eyes widened as they approached the cliff face, the ghost boy showing no indication of turning away from it.

"DANNY!" she screamed, closing her eyes in anticipation of the collision as a cold, tingly sensation ran through her.

The seconds ticked as she waited for the inevitable pain, opening one eye cautiously in case she saw the stone wall again. Her anxieties were immediately forgotten as she watched in awe as rocks and dirt pass all around her, the tree roots above blending into an earthly cloud. The sight did not last long before the two stopped and rose up past an empty section, through the surface and back to the world above.

"I never knew such beauty could exist below my feet," she stated quietly noticing the cold sensation vanished as he released his grip on her hand. She was surprised when the ghost teen suddenly turned on her, his glare made more intimidating by the glow from his cold, green eyes.

"How did you know the Guys In White captured me?!" he asked as he bounded towards the alien girl, forcing her to retreat from him until her back was against a tree.

"I escaped a year before you came to Earth and I know the Guys In White would never admit that a ghost escaped from one of their facilities, so how in the world did you find out?"

"You were captured before?" she asked, surprise and worry beginning to hide the fear the ghost boy's glare was instilling. His eyes never left hers as he stepped back from her, reaching under the white collar of his hazmat suit and pulling a hidden zipper down to his belt. A dangerous glint came to his eyes as he pulled at the top half of his suit open, the moon peeking out from clouds almost in sync.

The entire world seemed to slow around them, the moonlight and pale glow around the ghost providing enough light for her to see his exposed chest. Numerous scars of varying sizes were wrapped all over his torso, some reaching up to his neck while others went towards his back. Some were so stretched out that it seemed that a simple flex or twist would tear the wounds open again. But these aged wounds might as well have not been there to the Tamaranean, for her eyes were locked on one in particular.

Standing out amongst them all was a scar half a centimeter in wide starting at his belly button. It travelled upwards in a straight line to his sternum before dividing in a perfect ninety degree angle before ending at each shoulder blade to complete a perfect Y. She knew instantly what this mark meant, and it sent a frightening chill through her heart.

Danny watched the tears that began to pour down Starfire's face, his stone cold face hiding the conflicting emotions inside. A part of him felt a sick sense of satisfaction from this, knowing that he had managed to get revenge for the pain she'd inflicted on him all those weeks ago. Yet, another part felt… disgusted and guilty for doing this to her. After all, he'd known he would get hurt by befriending the alien girl and her friendship and kindness had been an addictive pleasure to him before then.

"Does this answer your question?" he growled quietly, his voice ringing loudly in the Tamaranean's ears as he pulled his hazmat suit shut and zipped it up, hiding the disfigurement once more. "Now answer mine. How did you know?" Starfire remained quiet for a moment, trying her best dry her face and stop her tears with her hands, with little success.

"I did not know that you had been captured before," she sniffed, trying to regain her composure.

"Then why did you say that to me?" Starfire was quiet again, wiping away her tears with more success this time than before.

"There was a robbery today at the technology museum. A villain from 100 years in future named Warp tried to steal a clock exhibit, and it seemed that we could not stop him. Just as he was about to escape through a wormhole he created, I tackled him and sent us both inside. We struggled until I removed the vortex regulator from his suit and sent us both twenty years into the future."

"I learned that my friends had broken apart and that the Titans were no more. I went to go find them, to see if I could get help so I could find Warp and make him repair the future to the way it was supposed to be, but Cyborg, Beast Boy, and Raven could not and would not help me. But it was after I had left Raven that I learned of what happened to you…"

* * *

_20 years in the future_

"_Your mind…without friends you must have…" A wall of black energy shot up before her, earning a gasp from the Tamaranean. She stared at her friend sadly for a moment before exiting, leaving the white robed sorceress in her white walled room. She was just about to fly out through one of the holes in the ceiling when she heard talking from down below._

"_I don't see why I have to have armed guards around me when I gather samples. He hardly moves at all," said a male voice. Starfire cautiously slid closer towards the metal rails and looked down to the floor below. A man in a white suit just barely out of his twenties was shutting a door down below, two men with strange metallic guns on either side of him._

"_Don't believe everything you see when it comes to that one," said the man on the left. "Danny Phantom is the most dangerous ghost we've ever dealt with, and one of the craftiest."_

"_Danny?" she muttered quietly to herself, watching as the young man in the middle rolled his eyes and walked towards the exit, the other two falling in step with him._

"_Maybe before Alpha team he was, but that isn't true anymore. You can just see the defeat in his eyes." The last thing Starfire saw of those three before they disappeared under the stone walkway she was standing on was the third man frowning before shaking his head at the younger agent._

"_If there's one thing you ever learn as an agent kid, it's never trust a ghost."_

_Starfire listened to the echoing footsteps fade away before taking to the air, coming to a halt just before the nearest hole in the ceiling. Her eyes drifted towards the door the three had been in, her curiosity building the longer she stayed. It wasn't long until she was standing in front of the door, turning the knob and pushing the door open._

_Her nostrils were instantly struck with the sickening scent of blood, forcing the Tamaranean girl to stagger away from the doorway and gag. It took her a few minutes before the smell was bearable enough for her to proceed inside. Once she stepped inside, a light in the middle of the ceiling sprung to life, illuminating the little room. Her eyes immediately locked onto the occupant._

_Danny hung limply from restraints that sprouted from the four corners of the wall opposite of the door, his hands and feet encased in white cylinders that were enshrouded with the same green energy she'd seen him use. His black and white hazmat suit clung in shredded clumps around his body, kept in one piece by the smallest strips that had managed to survive whatever had happened to him. Sadly, the suit seemed to be in better shape than the body it sat on._

_Through the mutilated remains, Starfire could easily make out scars upon scars layered over the hybrid's chest, green blood oozing from the freshly made lashes upon his chest and into the growing puddle below him. She would have assumed him dead if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest and the sound of his shallow, haggard breathing._

"_Danny?" His breathing hitched at the disturbance of his silent wallowing. His head slowly rose to face her and she could feel the beginnings of tears form in her eyes. His white hair hung in matted clumps across his face and back, green and dark stains only adding to the dirty snow-like color. A thin trickle of his green blood trailed out from the corners of his mouth and into the patches of hair that had managed to grow between the few scars along his face into a haphazard beard. _

_But the worst of it was the eye that stared back at her._

_She'd seen that same look before, that resigned, broken look in his pupils. She'd caught it when she had called him a criminal and ended her friendship with him. That look was now amplified and it broke her heart to see the life drained from them. She watched as he squinted at her, examining her as she approached him. She was only a few steps away when his face fell and he went back to the position she'd found him._

"_Go away." Starfire winced at the hoarseness in the whisper from his deep, baritone voice, but continued to get closer. When she was close enough, she reached out towards him, trying to get him to look at her again._

"_What has happened to you?"_

"_GET AWAY FROM ME!" he snarled, startling the alien girl and causing her to fall onto her behind as he pulled against the restraints. A beep sounded from the restraints before green energy crackled across the hybrid's body. A howl of pain erupted from Danny's throat as he convulsed in pain. Starfire watched horror from the ground, her body frozen in horror until another beep sounded and the energy died down. Green smoke drifted from the ghost's now limp form as he struggled to breathe, coughing blood onto the floor as he shuddered in pain. Starfire slowly got back onto her feet, her eyes never leaving the captured man as his breathing slowly went back to the shallow, haggard rate it had been before._

"_What have they done to you?" she asked, not willing to try another attempt at getting closer. "Why are you in such a state?" The hybrid remained quiet, refusing to acknowledge her presence._

"_Danny?"_

"_What do you want from me?!" he snarled, glaring at the Tamranean before succumbing to another fit of coughing. "Why do you keep haunting me like this? Every time they leave, you appear to tell me how I deserve this because I'm a liar and a criminal. Why won't you just go away and leave me alone?!" Starfire just stared at him, stuck somewhere between frightened and sad for the man before her. Those feelings began shifted to sadness when she saw that he had started crying._

"_But you can't leave me alone, can you? You're nothing more than a hallucination created by my mind to punish me for thinking I could have a friend." A tired sigh escaped from his lips as his head drooped back down, his tears now mixing with the blood on the floor._

"_Monsters like me aren't allowed to have friends."_

_Four energy blasts flew through the air, each one striking the restraints and blowing them open with ease. They hybrid was surprised to feel himself falling towards the ground, but was even more surprised to feel his 'hallucination' catch him in a hug before he hit the floor._

"_No one should be punished for wanting a friend," she whispered quietly into his ear. "And I cannot stand by when it is one of my friends who is."_

"_Y…You're real?" he stuttered, wobbling slightly as he pulled away and shifted his weight back onto his feet. His face moved closer towards her slowly, his eye staring in disbelief as it drank in the Tamaranean's features._

"_But how can this be?" he asked quietly as he released her. "You look like you haven't aged a day." An explosion blew the door open, the halfa instinctively clinging to Starfire in a shielding manner as he turned them both intangible. The door flew harmlessly through them and the two spun around to see several agents rush inside, their gleaming weapons trained on the two inhuman occupants. From behind the agents, a woman in her mid-thirties wearing a skin-tight black combat suit walked in. _

_It didn't take Starfire very long to remember who she was._

"_Don't even bother Phantom," ordered Agent S as he started to release the Tamaranean. "You're in no condition to fight." Starfire pulled herself out of the hybrid's protective hold and allowed two Starbolts to come to life in her hands._

"_He does not need to fight…" she began, only to feel a firm hand come to rest on her shoulder. The energy in her hands died as she spun watched the ghost move in between her and the ghost hunters._

"_She's right," he replied, his head bowed. Starfire opened her mouth to argue, but was silenced by the ghost's next words._

"_I don't need to fight to make you guys look bad." Everything seemed to slow for her as she watched Danny turn to embrace her again. She could hear Agent S screaming at them as she began to reach for something on her thigh. The last thing she saw was a glint of green appear over the halfa's shoulders as he pulled her into him, blocking her view of the agents beginning to fire at them. A sickening squelching sound occurred behind the hybrid as the entire room vanished in a sudden burst of green light._

_When her eyes finally re-adjusted from the flash, she saw that they were in front of the cave where their friendship had begun._

"_How did you…" Starfire began, only to stop as Danny collapsed into her, his legs finally giving way from under him._

"_Danny!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his torso to keep him from falling to the ground and possibly taking her down with him. Her left arm brushed up against something protruding from his spine, prompting her to shift him to see what it was. The Tamaranean's breath hitched when she saw the hilt of a dagger standing just below his shoulder, blood seeping out from the edges with every tired breath he took. Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Starfire grabbed onto the hilt and pulled, a pained grunt escaping the hybrid as the glowing green blade left his body. She didn't even bother giving it a second look as she tossed it aside, focusing more on laying her friend down as quickly and gently as possible._

"_Do not worry," she told him, looking around for any sign of something to help. "I will go and…"_

"_It won't help." She could feel her blood chilling in her veins at his words, tears beginning to form as her eyes fell onto his face. "It's too late."_

"_Do not say that," she begged, getting onto her knees to place a comforting hand on his chest. "You will be alright." Danny shook his head weakly, before staring up at the darkened skies above._

"_The wound is too bad and teleporting us took everything I had left." His fragile frame shook as he broke out into a coughing fit, adding onto the helpless feeling growing in the alien girl. Once the fit was over, the halfa looked over to see the tears rolling down her face._

"_Hey now," he said, his voice weaker than he had meant it. His hand rose to cup her cheek and his thumb began wiping some of the tears away._

"_There's no reason for to cry. I have my freedom again…and I'm not alone anymore." This brought a fresh stream of tears from both of them as they let those words sink in. When he saw that the sad expression on her face persist, Danny began to hum. A gasp escaped the Tamaranean's lips, a nostalgic smile slowly coming to her face as she remembered being rocked back and forth in his embrace by the seaside. Her hand rose up to overlap his, her head nuzzling the comforting contact on her blushing cheek as she began to get lost in the ghost's melody and her memories. Danny merely smiled at her as he stroked her with his thumb, enjoying the warmth growing inside at seeing her smile. _

_The two became blissfully unaware of the world around them as the spell they wove upon each other grew stronger. Neither took notice to the slowing of the hybrid's breathing, nor the gradual fading of the music. The spell only started to fade when she felt his hand slowly slip out of hers. Her tearing eyes slowly opened to see Danny facing the clouds above with the most peaceful, heartwarming smile she'd ever seen him give._

* * *

"I buried you next to the opening of your former home and went to find Warp. He found me and defeated me with ease, taking the vortex regulator and he would have finished me had Robin not come and driven him off. With his help, my friends managed to find a reason to come and help and together, we defeated Warp. Then I stepped through the wormhole back to the moment I left, with the artifact Warp had stolen."

Starfire looked up to see Danny looking at her with a stunned, yet contemplative expression on his face. She also noticed the slight pink tint that still remained plastered on his cheeks. Before he could respond, she rushed towards him, clinging to him as she let the tears she'd been repressing throughout her story fall into his shoulder.

"I am so sorry I hurt you. If I had known sooner that the Guys In White were capable of such cruelty, I never would have believed their lies."

"Hey now," he cooed, stroking her back as he tried to calm the distraught alien girl. "It's okay now. You've changed the future and I'm still here." His words seemed to have the intended effect as she gradually pulled away. With a warm, caring smile, the Tamaranean grabbed one of the necklaces made of metal spheres that glistened in the moonlight.

"On my planet, we celebrate the friends we have made on Blorthog, the Festival of Friendship. I have already celebrated with my friends," she announced, throwing one end of the strange necklace over his head and placing it around his neck. "…and now it is time I celebrate it with you. Happy Blorthog Danny."

Danny just stood there, his mind trying to comprehend what the alien girl had said while she embraced him with another hug. In an instant, his arms were wrapped around her, desperately clinging to her as though she'd disappear if he let go.

"Happy Blorthog Starfire," replied the hybrid, a blush came to the Tamaranean teen's face from the sudden rush of warm and welcomed feeling from the contact. Without thinking, she nuzzled even further into his shoulder and releasing a contented sigh at being in her friend's arms again.

* * *

Hands down the longest chapter I've ever written.

Sorry for not posting for so long. I'm going to be honest, starting playing some video games and things went downhill from there. Hopefully this chapter will be up to par with the previous chapters you love so much. Will try to have the next chapter up a lot sooner than this, but with how my life's going, I can't make any promises.


	13. Chapter 13

After a long absence, the saga continues.

* * *

He could feel his heart go cold as the sound of jet engines echoed throughout his latest hideout, the peach in his hand falling unceremoniously to the ground.

'_Have they found me already?_' he thought as he leapt into the air, feeling the rush of power that the white transformation rings brought. Turning intangible, he flew through the ceiling and the ground above until his head stuck out of the ground. His eyes scanned the air and surrounding forest until he saw a large red craft floating in the air.

'_Too alien and colorful to be the Guys In White. But if that's here, then that means..._' Almost as if on cue, he saw a slender figure fly up to the craft and begin pushing it back down to Earth.

'_...the Titans aren't far behind._' He watched as several thrusters ignited beneath the craft, allowing the craft to rise again despite the Tamaranean's efforts. A beam of black energy wrapped itself around one of the spacecraft's wings, followed shortly by what appeared to be a cable around the other. The ship started to drop again, but another flare of the thrusters and it began to pull away again. Danny looked between the sight and the ground he was currently sticking out of for a moment before putting his now glowing blue hands to his head with a groan.

'_And I just found this place too._'

* * *

"Hang on, Beast Boy! We're going to get you out!" shouted Robin as he and Cyborg pulled on the retracting steel cable as hard as they could. Cracking noises could be heard from the tree as the constricting metal rope threatened to crush the mighty pine. Starfire let out another grunt as she pushed her strength to the limit, her hands slowly sinking into the sleek red hull. Yet the ship still continued to rise, sinking whatever chance they had at saving their friend.

A wave of green energy exploded across the hull of the craft, giving it the appearance of being engulfed in flames. The alien girl reacted quickly by removing he hands, a gasp escaping from all the Titans gasps as they searched for the source of the blaze.

"Sorry pal, but the little green man you took isn't one of yours." Four sets of eyes immediately locked onto the teen now standing between them and the alien ship. A smile came to the Tamaranean's face as she recognized the newcomer, watching as he held the ship in place. Another flare of the thrusters forced the ship up a foot, earning a grunt from the masked teen. The glow around his hands grew in intensity as the ship slowly sank back to where it had been, groaning and shaking in protest.

A loud cry tore itself from his throat as he continued to fight the ship, his eye closing as he tried to muster up enough power to force the ship down. His arms shook from the strain and he could feel his legs beginning to buckle.

"A little help here!" Danny called out, unaware of the faint trickle of ectoplasm pouring out from the eyehole of his mask. This seemed to snap the Titans out of there stupor and back to what they had been doing before the halfa's arrival.

The alien craft continued to fight against them, jerking occasionally against the forces pulling it back to Earth. Once it was only a few feet away, several poles shot out from the underbelly of the spacecraft and sank into the ground, acting as landing gear. The ship seemed to give up at that point, deactivating its thrusters and allowing the five teenagers to release it.

The halfa staggered slightly, shaking his head in an attempt to clear it of the sudden dizzy spell. His stomach churned and flipped as the world spun around him, becoming nothing more than a blur of colors and black spots. A loud ringing in his ears turned everything into muffled noise that only added to the growing pain of his throbbing headache.

A loud thud shook the ground, sending Danny into high alert, the spike in adrenaline gradually clearing his senses. A large yellow blob stood before all of them, its gruff voice becoming clearer with every word.

"... belongs to Soto! You go now!"

"I'm thinking you're the one who's got to go," Robin replied, getting into a heroic stance. The fuzzy blob leapt into the air, the hybrid's eye widening as the blurriness cleared and the giant rock alien descended upon them.

"Titans, move!" The five teens leapt away, just barely avoiding the hulking being's fists, though the shockwave sent them flying back several feet. Cyborg, Raven, and Starfire landed in the circle of trees around them, Danny and Robin mirroring each other almost perfectly as they skidded to a halt.

"Keep the living Easter Island head busy." The ghost teen didn't even wait for a response from the Titan leader before charging forward, eyes narrowed as he took to the air. The alien creature burst out from the cloud of debris, throwing a fist at the incoming hybrid. Its eyes widened in surprise as his fist passed straight through the masked teen, sinking into the ground with little effort. Danny phased right through the creature, zipping right up the hatch of the ship as the rock man turned to follow him.

Danny looked around the interior of the ship, amazed by how much bigger it was on the inside. _'It'k kind of have to be to hide something like that thing,_' he thought. The halfa turned towards the closest doorway and darted through it, keeping his eyes and ears open for Beast Boy or any defense system. What he saw surprised and confused him.

This was clearly the control room, if the large viewport and flight controls were anything to go by, but it all looked completely wrong. Despite the advanced, futuristic design on the outside, the controls were the exact opposite. They looked like they had been designed by three year olds, if the blue and yellow piano keys and large colorful buttons of numerous shapes were anything to go by. On the other side of the ship, standing on a purple cushion and tugging on a red leash was Beast Boy.

"Looks like someone's eager to get off the leash." The changeling froze before spinning around, seeing the masked teen walking up to him.

"It's you," stated the emerald Titan, earning a nod from the halfa.

"Let's get you out of here."

"Good luck with that," he replied, his ears drooping again. "This collar changes size with me so I can't break it off or squeeze out of it."

"Really?" Danny asked, grabbing onto the large metal brace around the Titan's neck. "Have you tried this?" Beast Boy's eyes widened with surprise as the restraint passed harmlessly through his neck, the red energy rope vanishing as soon as it was off.

"How did you do that?!" shouted the changeling, the ghost teen's visible eye sparkling with mirth as he effortlessly balanced it his index finger and spun it.

"Trade secret," he replied, tossing the collar in the air and catching it. A loud crash sounded from outside, catching the two teens' attention and reminding them of what was going on outside.

"Let's go," ordered the hybrid, running towards the doorway. "It's time to make an entrance."

"We hit him with everything and it's still not enough!" growled Robin as he glared at the giant alien standing between them and their friend. "We need more! We need..." As if on cue, a loud elephant cry sounded from the ship, earning confused glance from the creature. He didn't even have time to react before the large green pachyderm slammed right into it, knocking the alien back a few feet. The elephant shifted back to the changeling, who held a hand up like a telephone.

"You rang?" The creature seemed surprised as Beast Boy walked over to him in a determined manner. The creature glared at the changeling as he pulled a very large remote from a pouch in his clothes.

"Bad dog! Soto will punish!" Soto pressed a button on the controller several times. When he saw nothing was happening, the creature started pounding the remote, then pushing buttons at random. A small metallic clang echoed through the near silence as a metal collar rolled along the ground and stopped at the rock alien's feet. Soto picked up the little device and looked at it before staring at the figure walking out from the ship.

"You do know shock collars are inhumane right?" said the hybrid, the air around him becoming thick with foreboding. The creature seemed to get nervous, but that was forgotten by the large T-Rex breathing right in his face. He didn't even get a chance to react before the dinosaur sent him flying into the air. Without hesitating, Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl and took to the air, overshooting Soto and positioning himself right above the alien. In an instant, he transformed into a kangaroo and kicked the rock creature back down to the earth.

A blur of green, red, and yellow, shot past the alien, causing him to spin like a top in the air. Cyborg followed up with a punch that sent Soto flying away from his ship. Danny and the two female Titans took to the air, their hands coming alight with their power before launching it at the flailing creature. The three energy beams merged into one massive beam that engulfed the rock-like alien and smashed him into the ground.

When the smoke cleared, the six teens looked down into the crater to see Soto sitting in the middle of it, his lips trembling as though he were just about to cry. He looked up at Beast Boy, not noticing the collar clamping shut around his neck until it was too late. All of them turned to see a green dog sitting next to the collar's remote at the crater's edge.

"Sit. Stay." Danny's eye quirked slightly, surprised at seeing a talking dog and amused at the irony of what it had said. Soto seemed to perk up instantly at the sight of the dog, climbing up out of the crater with little effort.

"Doggy!" he cried, picking himself up from the ground and reaching out towards the green dog as though to hug it. "You came back!" The dog seemed to take little interest in the giant alien, finding its own paw far more deserving of its time.

"On the contrary, I am only here to retrieve my squeaky toys. I refuse to be your pet any longer." Soto's face fell for a second before lighting up again.

"Ok! Soto will be the doggy now and you will be the master!" As if to prove his point, the rock-like extraterrestrial got on all fours and began bouncing and rolling around, barking just like a dog. He didn't even bother hesitating to lick the dog's face, earning disturbed looks from the Titans and restrained chuckling from the ghost teen.

"What? Oh my! That tickles!" replied the dog, clearly enjoying this change in events.

"Ok? Weird," announced Beast Boy.

"Better him than me," added the empath.

"Likewise," agreed the hybrid, watching as the dog finally pulled away from his new pet and running up the open hatchway.

"Come along, Soto. Time to go home," ordered the new master, the giant alien running inside the ship. The teens watched the ship rise into the air and disappear into the night air in seconds.

"Alright, Beast Boy!" cheered Robin, clapping his hand on the changeling's shoulder. Danny turned around to see the Titans smothering their green friend with affection, an unseen smile coming to his face at the scene. Without a word, the hybrid turned away and started walking in the direction of his hideout, his body becoming heavy and sluggish as the adrenaline from the fight began to wear off.

"Thanks," replied the changeling, giving his friends a tired smile. "But if it's cool with you guys, I've kinda had enough attention for one day." A large wall of black energy erupted in front of the halfa, startling him and stopping him in his tracks. Whipping around, he saw all of the Titans staring at him, Robin moving to stand before his team.

"Then let's give some to you... Danny Phantom." The ghost teen looked at each of the heroes for a moment before letting out a defeated sigh.

"Guess I don't need this anymore," he replied, placing his hands on his helmet and removing it. He looked back at each of the Titans, noting the reaction of each one as he waited for the judging look in their eyes. Beast Boy and Cyborg a little surprised, most likely because of the scar over his blind eye. Starfire looked worried, though Danny knew it was because he'd finally gotten caught by her friends. Raven's face remained as stoic as he'd seen it on the front pages of the newspapers, though he did notice the slight pink that had appeared on her cheeks. Robin's eyes only narrowed, analyzing the hybrid for any movements.

"You're coming with us," ordered the Titan leader. Danny didn't say a word as he walked over to the five teens, dropping his helmet on the ground. He came to a halt just before the boy wonder, looking him right in the eye, trying his best to keep his vision clear and focused.

"That depends," he finally said, "Are you going to call the Guys in White and get them involved?"

"No," he replied. "At least, not yet." Danny merely nodded at the boy wonder's answer before holding out his wrists. Robin responded by reaching for the back of his belt, pulling out a pair of cuffs and putting them on the ghost. He then started walking in the direction of the city, Danny glancing at the others for a moment before following him.

* * *

Who says ghosts don't gamble. Let's hope it doesn't backfire on him.

Please review!


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